NFL suspends Kevin Williams two games

The NFL is enforcing a two-game suspension against Kevin Williams and fining him an additional two game checks.

Vikings defensive tackle Kevin Williams has been suspended without pay for the team’s first two games of the 2011 regular season and fined an additional two game checks for violating the NFL policy on performance enhancing substances, the league announced Friday afternoon.

The suspension stems from the 2008 StarCaps incident in which Williams tested positive for the banned diuretic Bumetanide, which was laced in the dietary supplement that didn’t list the ingredient on the bottle. Williams tested positive during training camp 2008 and the suspension was announced later that season, but the case was hung up in a legal battle until Williams finally decided to stop fighting the issue in court earlier this year.

Williams’ suspension begins on Sept. 3. He will be eligible to return to the Vikings’ active roster on Monday, Sept. 19 following the team’s Sept. 18 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Had Williams served a four-game suspension in 2008 or 2009, he would have forfeited $235,294 in base salary. Had he served four games in 2010, he would have lost $535,059 in base salary. With a $6 million base salary in 2011, the loss of four game checks will cost him $1.411 million in lost salary.

-- Brian McIntyre contributed to this article.

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