Vikings release WR Jerome Simpson
The Minnesota Vikings have released wide receiver Jerome Simpson just days before he was set to come back from a three-game suspension. Simpson was suspended in August and would have been eligible to return to the team on Monday if he hadn't been released.
The release came just hours after the team learned that Simpson was cited for marijuana possession on July 7. Simpson was charged for marijuana possession, driving with an open bottle and violating limited license restrictions after he was pulled over in Bloomington, Minn.
Simpson had kept the arrest under wraps and coach Mike Zimmer didn't find out about it until a Vikings public relations person informed him on Thursday, according to ESPN.com.
The three-game suspension Simpson was serving this season stemmed from a DUI arrest in November. Simpson pleaded out guilty to reckless driving in that case and the league suspended him in August.
This year's suspension was the second of Simpson's career. The 28-year-old was also suspended in three games in 2012 after authorities intercepted a 2.5 pound marijuana package that was delivered to his house.
The seventh-year receiver was a second-round pick of the Bengals in 2008, but never panned out in Cincinnati. Simpson signed with the Vikings before the 2012 season and had some success, including last year, where he tallied a career-high 726 yards.
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