GREEN BAY, Wis. -- The NFL has suspended Green Bay Packers defensive end Datone Jones for one game.
The league announced Thursday that Jones will miss the regular-season opener against the Chicago Bears for violating the league's substance abuse policy.
Jones was the Packers' first-round draft pick (No. 26) in 2013 but has never been a full-time starter. He has played in 29 of a possible 32 regular-season games in his first two seasons but has five career sacks. He missed three games last season because of an ankle injury, and he had 1.5 sacks in 13 games.
It was not immediately known whether Jones failed a drug test or missed a test -- either could result in a suspension -- but he talked this offseason about the need for maturity early in his NFL career.
"I learned so many new things," Jones said during last month's minicamp. "I had to mature a lot. That was one thing. I had to really dial in and really mature a lot and really put my focus all into football. A lot. I had to really focus. That was the biggest thing with my growth to make that next jump. A lot of times it's not all about the numbers. 'This guy had 15 sacks.' No, it's not that. You have to dial in mentally and actually learn the game. That's where you get that veteran game where it's like, 'Man, this guy, you think a guy is physical, but he's not doing anything spectacular.'"
Jones remains eligible to participate in training camp and can play in the preseason games. He can then rejoin the Packers' active roster the day after the Sept. 13 game against the Bears.
Jones might not be the Packers' only defensive player to be suspended for the start of the season. The Packers are still waiting to find out whether -- or for how long -- defensive tackle Letroy Guion will be suspended following his offseason arrest.
