FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- New England Patriots starting defensive end Rob Ninkovich will serve a four-game suspension to open the 2016 regular season after a positive test for a banned substance, and said he is devastated and shocked because he would never knowingly take an illegal substance.
"Few things are more important to me than my name and reputation. This might call that into question for some, which has me heartbroken," Ninkovich told ESPN. "I don't want to cut any corners. I want to do things the right way, with high integrity, and that's what I have always wanted to stand for.