Receiver
Santonio Holmes, who was traded to the
New York Jets on Sunday from the
Pittsburgh Steelers, will be suspended for the first four games of the 2010 season for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy, a source confirmed to ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.
The Jets acquired the talented but troubled receiver from the Steelers for a fifth-round pick in this month's draft. ESPN 1050 in New York first reported the trade, which Jets owner Woody Johnson publicly confirmed on Monday at the team's camp in Cortland, N.Y.
"He's known by members of the team," Johnson said. "Everybody has a lot of respect for him. He's tough. He's a clutch receiver. I don't think pressure gets to him in a game. We were happy to start this [relationship]."
Holmes is heading to New York Monday morning to take a physical, sources told ESPN. He will then will meet with Jets officials before the trade is officially announced.
No news conference is expected Monday.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported Monday that according to sources, the Steelers were prepared to release Holmes had they not been able to trade him.
Holmes will have to wait to get on the field. Saturday, Pro Football Talk.com first reported Holmes was facing a suspension. The Web site reported it was unknown whether Holmes tested positive for a prohibited substance or committed some other violation of the policy, such as missing a required test, and that the Holmes' appeal process had not been finalized.
Schefter's source told him Monday that although the four-game suspension has not officially been announced by the NFL, it has been finalized.
Holmes, the 2009 Super Bowl MVP, gives second-year quarterback
Mark Sanchez another big-time target to throw to in an offense that already included receivers
Braylon Edwards,
Jerricho Cotchery, promising tight end
Dustin Keller and recently signed running back
LaDainian Tomlinson.
Holmes has 235 career catches for 3,835 yards and 20 touchdowns, but also brings his share of off-field issues, which could explain the relatively low price the Jets paid to get him.
In 2008, Holmes was arrested for possession of marijuana, and he was involved in a domestic violence incident in 2006; the misdemeanor charges were dismissed.
The 5-foot-11 Holmes, a first-round pick out of Ohio State in 2006, adds a speedy complement to the Jets' passing game. He's coming off the best season of his career statistically, after having 79 catches for 1,248 yards and five touchdowns. His presence should allow Cotchery to assume more of a slot role, where he is extremely effective, and take double coverage off Edwards.
Holmes has one year remaining on his contract.
"Wow we got Holmes this is crazy," All-Pro cornerback
Darrelle Revis posted on his Twitter account. "We makin big moves this off-season. Putting the pieces together to get closer to that superbowl ring."
After making it to the AFC Championship Game last season, the Jets and general manager Mike Tannenbaum have been aggressive despite the league's "Final Eight" restrictions that have limited who they could sign. New York has traded for Holmes and cornerback
Antonio Cromartie, and signed Tomlinson, safety
Brodney Pool and kicker
Nick Folk.
Add in the draft-day trade with Cleveland to select Sanchez last April and the acquisition of wide receiver Edwards from the Browns in October, and the Jets have made quite a splash during the last 12 months.
The Jets are still also waiting to hear from free agent linebacker-defensive end
Jason Taylor, who met with the team for two days last week. The NFL's active sacks leader went back home to Weston, Fla., on Friday without a deal in place, but is expected to make a decision sometime this week whether to join the team he has considered an enemy for most of his 13-year career.
The Jets have shown themselves to be unafraid of adding players with questionable backgrounds. They traded for Edwards two days after he was accused of punching a friend of NBA star
LeBron James in October outside a downtown Cleveland nightclub.
New York also acquired Cromartie last month from San Diego even though he was dealing with paternity issues. Cromartie has fathered seven children by six women in five states, and the Jets advanced him $500,000 to clear up his legal troubles.
The Jets acknowledged having interest before last year's draft in former Giants receiver
Plaxico Burress, who's currently serving a prison sentence. Burress pleaded guilty last August to attempted criminal possession of a weapon for having a loaded handgun in a nightclub that went off and shot him in the leg in November 2008.
Despite being benched earlier in the 2008 season for the marijuana arrest, Holmes made a number of big plays for Pittsburgh -- none bigger than in the Super Bowl against Arizona. His tiptoe catch in the corner of the end zone of a 6-yard touchdown pass from
Ben Roethlisberger with 35 seconds left sent the Steelers to a 27-23 victory. He caught nine passes for 131 yards in the game.
The move for Holmes could also end speculation that the Jets might have interest in acquiring Denver's
Brandon Marshall. Despite saying those rumors were unfounded, New York has been grouped among numerous teams who could make a move before the draft for the Broncos receiver
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