Chargers' Roderic Teamer Suspended 4 Games for Violating Substance Abuse Policy

The NFL suspended Los Angeles Chargers safety Roderic Teamer four games for a violation of its substance abuse policy, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

Teamer signed with the Chargers as an undrafted free agent ahead of the 2019 season. He made seven appearances and finished with 36 total tackles, one sack and one interception.

Derwin James was limited to five games last season after suffering a stress fracture in his right foot during training camp. That allowed Teamer to make six starts at free safety.

The Chargers will have James healthy when they open their 2020 campaign Sept. 13 against the Cincinnati Bengals, so Teamer would've been relegated to backup duties if he had been available. Now, the earliest he'll be eligible to play is Week 5 against the New Orleans Saints on Oct. 12.

Teamer's absence could open the door for sixth-round draft pick Alohi Gilman to establish himself as James' understudy in the secondary. 

Gilman started his college career at Navy before transferring to Notre Dame. In three seasons, he had 244 total tackles and three interceptions. Bleacher Report's Matt Miller questioned Gilman's coverage ability but praised his work against the run.