Bengals OG Alex Redmond Suspended 4 Games for Violating NFL's PED Policy

The NFL suspended Cincinnati Bengals offensive guard Alex Redmond for the first four games of the 2019 season for violating the league's performance-enhancing drug policy, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter and Katherine Terrell.

After starting 15 games for the Bengals in 2018, Redmond signed a one-year, $645,000 deal with the team earlier this offseason.

A hamstring injury forced Redmond to miss the Bengals' 51-14 Week 10 defeat to the New Orleans Saints. Schefter noted the 24-year-old played through a torn labrum as well.

The offensive line was a clear problem for Cincinnati last season. The team finished 22nd in adjusted line yards and 19th in adjusted sack rate, per Football Outsiders.

First-round offensive tackle Jonah Williams and offensive guard John Miller were the only notable additions, with Jake Fisher and Cedric Ogbuehi leaving in free agency. 

The Bengals might have counted on Redmond taking a step forward in his third season with the benefit a full offseason to get healthy. Now, he's unavailable for the first fourth of the regular season.

Miller, who signed for three years and $17.1 million, will have the chance to further assert himself as a key player along the line for Cincinnati in Redmond's absence.