Former Saints and current Patriots tight end Benjamin Watson said he will be suspended for the first four games of the 2019 after testing positive for a substance banned by the NFL.
In a Tweet to his followers, Watson, 38, said that after a late-season 'bout' with appendicitis and various other injuries late in his career, he was prescribed some Bio Identical Testosterone Cypionate to "heal my body and mind."
Watson said at the time that he was planning on retirement and that he had forgotten about a drug test he took out of habit in late March.
He said after deliberation and some interest by some NFL teams, he decided to return and had forgotten about the test he took in March until he received the positive test results in early May.
"At that point I knew that my decision to return to play would include a four-game suspension and I immediately discussed this new developments with the clubs," he Tweeted. "Ultimately I decided to pursue another year and on May 9, the Patriots offered me a contract in spite of these circumstances.
"This is not how I would want to enter a locker room and attempt to earn my role on a new team."
Watson said he accepted the discipline.
