National Football League

Redskins LB Trent Murphy suspended four games for PED violation

Published Apr. 14, 2017 4:37 p.m. ET

Dan Graf

Trent Murphy, whose nine sacks were the Washington Redskins’ second-highest total last season, has been suspended for the first four games of 2017 after violating the NFL’s PED policy, the league announced Friday.

The violation was initially reported more than a month ago, but Murphy reportedly had been appealing.

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Murphy, 26, is coming off his best season since the team made him a 2014 second-round pick. He had 2.5 sacks as a rookie and 3.5 in 2015 before racking up nine last year. He reportedly gained about 30 pounds last offseason in an effort to convert from linebacker to defensive end, but the Redskins ultimately kept him at linebacker.