The Sports Xchange

The NFL suspended Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Marcell Dareus without pay for the first game of the 2015 regular season for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.

The four-year veteran will be able to participate in all offseason and preseason practices leading up to the regular-season opener. The Bills play host to the Indianapolis Colts in their first game on Sept. 13.

“Last year, I made a mistake involving possession of a banned substance,” Dareus said in a statement. “The NFL’s discipline for this conduct is part of the drug policy, and I apologize to my family, my teammates, the entire Bills organization and Bills fans that I will miss one game as a result of my mistake.

“I will work intensely that week and will be extremely happy to contribute to a win in week two for the Bills.”

In four seasons with the Bills, Dareus has started 60 of 63 games and has 202 career tackles and 28 1/2 sacks. Last year, Dareus finished with 49 tackles and a career-best 10 sacks in 15 games.

In April, Dareus appeared pleaded guilty in a Hamburg, N.Y., court to two traffic violations as part of a plea deal after a street racing incident last year.

As part of the plea agreement, all other charges were dropped. Dareus had been facing charges of reckless endangerment, reckless driving, unlawful speed and leaving the scene of an accident.

The charges stem from when Dareus crashed his 2012 Jaguar into a tree while allegedly racing teammate Jerry Hughes in May 2014.