FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- New York Jets wide receiver Quincy Enunwa was suspended Monday for the next four games without pay for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy, stemming from a domestic violence arrest at a New Jersey hotel in August 2014.
The arrest occurred one week after the NFL implemented a new domestic violence policy that included a six-game suspension for first-time offenders. Enunwa avoided a six-game ban because of his cooperation and remorse, according to a league source. The policy allows for the possibility of mitigation.
According to a high-ranking NFLPA source, Enunwa's suspension was a negotiated settlement between the NFL and the NFL Players Association. As such, there won't be an appeal. This is the first time the league and union have cooperated with any domestic violence-related discipline since the new personal conduct policy was released.
At the time the charge was dismissed, the NFL office indicated it still would review court documents, but the league anticipated no discipline for Enunwa, an NFL spokesman said at the time.
He will be eligible to return to the active roster on Friday, Nov. 13, the day after the Jets face the Buffalo Bills.
The woman involved decided not to pursue the matter, and the case was dismissed in court last October after Enunwa agreed to have no contact with the unidentified woman for 90 days.
Coach Todd Bowles, who heard at the end of the preseason that Enunwa was facing a likely suspension, was puzzled by the timing.
"I'm surprised it happened so late in the season being that it happened last year," Bowles told reporters. "But that's the process they went through and they took their time going through it. We respect the decision, and we're going to move forward."
Enunwa was charged with domestic violence assault after "purposely, knowingly or recklessly, causing bodily injury," according to the criminal complaint. He was accused of "grabbing the victim by her ankle and pulling her off a bed and causing her to strike and injure both her head and finger," the complaint said, not mentioning the severity of the injuries.
The incident occurred at a hotel less than a mile from the Jets' facility.
Soon after the suspension was announced, the Jets released a statement, saying, in part, the Jets "share the NFL's ongoing commitment to raising awareness of the frequency and impact of domestic and relationship violence, supporting survivors, and encouraging others to speak out and seek help."
Enunwa, a sixth-round pick in 2014 who spent last season on the practice squad, played well in the preseason and earned a role in the wide receiver rotation. On Sunday, he was the No. 3 receiver, playing in 49 of 67 offensive snaps in the victory over the Washington Redskins. He also was a gunner on the punt team.
Bowles said he learned of the suspension Monday morning.
Enunwa, 23, has eight catches for 94 yards. The suspension will cost him $102,000 in game checks.
The former Nebraska standout is the third player on the Jets to serve a suspension in 2015. Defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson returned Sunday from a four-game marijuana suspension, and he could face additional discipline under the personal conduct policy because of a July arrest. Guard Oday Aboushi, since released by the team, was suspended for the first game for violating the substance abuse policy.
ESPN's Jane McManus contributed to this report.
