The already long odds of the San Francisco 49ers making the playoffs became significantly longer Friday when the NFL suspended wide receiver Antonio Bryant four games for a violation of the league's substance abuse policy.
The sanction stems from Bryant's arrest last month on suspicion of drunken driving, reckless driving and resisting arrest.
Bryant, 25, will miss the final two regular-season games and, if the 49ers advance to postseason play, the suspension will carry into the playoffs. If San Francisco does not make the playoffs, Bryant will sit out the first two games of the 2007 season, a league spokesman said late Friday afternoon.
The wide receiver will forfeit $147,058 of his $1.25 million base salary for 2006. He will be docked the same amount for the first two games in 2007 if the suspension carries over to next year. Bryant signed a four-year, $15 million with the 49ers as an unrestricted free agent this spring.
In 14 games this season, including 13 starts, Bryant has 40 receptions for 733 yards and three touchdowns. The receiving yards and his average yards per catch (18.3) are team highs. The three touchdown catches tie for the club lead.
Bryant was arrested Nov. 20, hours after the 49ers upset the Seattle Seahawks in a home game. The incident occurred on Highway 101 near San Mateo, Calif., when Bryant was stopped by local police for allegedly driving "in excess of 100 mph" in his orange Lamborghini, according to an official report.
The report noted that Bryant was "uncooperative and combative," and he subsequently was jailed for several hours.
Bryant refused to take a field sobriety test, according to Capt. Kevin Raffaelli of the San Mateo Police Department. Officers were forced to use leather restraints to get Bryant into the police cruiser.
Under state law, Bryant had his driver's license suspended because he did not agree to the field sobriety test. The wide receiver is scheduled to appear in court next week to address the charges. Bryant already has dropped his appeal with the league.
If the suspension carries into the 2007 season, Bryant will be able to attend training camp and to play in the preseason. The continuation of the suspension would pick up the first week of the regular season.
Already with his third NFL franchise in only five seasons, Bryant has long had a reputation as a troubled player, dating back to his college career at the University of Pittsburgh. He entered the league with the Dallas Cowboys in 2002 and, in 2004, had an infamous flare-up in camp, in which he tossed his practice shirt at coach Bill Parcells.
The Cowboys traded Bryant to Cleveland in 2004 and, after two productive seasons with the Browns, he signed with the 49ers this spring.
In 77 games, including 56 starts, Bryant has 250 receptions for 3,837 yards and 19 touchdowns.
Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.