GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Geronimo Allison, the Green Bay Packers' second-year receiver who made a surprising contribution as a rookie, was suspended for the first game of the regular season for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy, the league announced Wednesday.
Allison, 23, was charged in December with possession of marijuana in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, stemming from a September traffic stop.
Allison pleaded no contest in April, when he paid a $330.50 fine to reduce the charge from a misdemeanor to an ordinance violation, according to Wisconsin circuit court records. He will be suspended without pay, meaning he would lose one check -- or $31,764. His $540,000 salary is not guaranteed, so he would only be paid for games in which he's on the 53-man roster.
Allison will not count on the roster during his one-week suspension. He will be allowed to practice during training camp and play in preseason games.
Allison became an important player for the Packers midway through last season after injuries hit their receiving corps. The undrafted rookie out of Illinois was promoted from the practice squad on Oct. 24, and less than a week later caught his first NFL touchdown pass against the Atlanta Falcons. He finished with 17 catches for 267 yards and two touchdowns in 13 games, including playoffs.
The Packers drafted a pair of receivers -- Purdue's DeAngelo Yancey (fifth round) and LSU's Malachi Dupre (seventh) -- and kept seven at the position on the roster to open last season. Allison spent most of the offseason practices as the No. 4 receiver behind Jordy Nelson, Davante Adams and Randall Cobb.
