Seantrel Henderson Suspended: What does it mean for the Bills?
By Ryan Brennan
Seantrel Henderson could’ve been the right tackle the Buffalo Bills need right now. However, his battle with Crohn’s disease hasn’t allowed him that chance.
Buffalo Bills’ offensive tackle Seantrel Henderson is undergoing a very unfortunate time in both his personal life and his NFL career.
Henderson was originally handed a four-game suspension to start the season after he violated the league’s substance abuse policy. He tested positive for marijuana, which he was using to help treat his battle with Crohn’s disease.
Over the weekend, rumors started to buzz that Henderson could be facing another suspension for the same offense — and the same reasons for using the marijuana. On Sunday, it was officially announced that he will face a 10-game suspension.
Henderson plans on appealing the suspension with a final decision being made at some point this week.
It’s unfortunate for Henderson because there’s nothing he can do about it. He simply needs the marijuana for medical reasons.
"“He needs cannabis. You can’t take pain killers with the way his intestines are,” said one source close to the situation."
Looking at the way the NFL usually handles these cases, it doesn’t look like we’ll be seeing Henderson again this year.
"“There is zero allowable medical exemption for this per the NFL; however, there clearly should be,” said Henderson’s agent after his last suspension."
Seantrel Henderson was handed his first suspension this season on September 9, 2016 — just two days before their Week 1 game vs. the Ravens. He has only seen action once this season, tallying 34 snaps vs. the Cincinnati Bengals — a little over half of the team’s offensive snaps in that game.
The Buffalo Bills need Seantrel Henderson at full health and suspension-free. Currently, the Bills are rolling with Jordan Mills at right tackle and so far that hasn’t really worked out as much as everyone hoped. It’s pretty clear that it’s a position that will need attention this offseason, but Henderson could be that guy we need.
There’s no doubt that he is the most talented guy we have for that position — noted that the better options all start at different positions. However, that all goes down the drain when we can’t use him — first due to the disease, secondly due to the suspensions.
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At this point, Seantrel Henderson’s health should be his top priority and it looks like he should go down a similar path as Percy Harvin went down last offseason — deciding to take time off from football to heal back to game-form. With his latest suspension, that will be the case for Henderson no matter what.
Whether he’s a starter or backup, the Buffalo Bills desperately need Seantrel Henderson in their lineup. If that means we have to wait until he’s able to give us what we need, then we have to accept that.
For now, we just hope that Henderson continues to make strides in his battle with Crohn’s disease. We should know more about the suspension this week.
Do you think the NFL will stick with their 10-game suspension on Seantrel Henderson? Leave your comments below!