The Steelers' season of turmoil continued Monday when the team learned right tackle Marcus Gilbert had been suspended for four games by the NFL for violation of the league's substance abuse policy for use of performance enhancing drugs.
The suspension begins immediately.
"We are disappointed that Marcus has been suspended for four games for using performance-enhancing substances," Kevin Colbert said in a statement issued by the team. "He will not appeal the NFL's decision. The suspension is effective immediately, and he will not be permitted in the building until after the suspension is concluded following our game Dec. 17."
That game will be the rematch of the AFC Championship against New England hosted by the Steelers in Week 15.
Here is background on the NFL's substance abuse policy.
Gilbert, 29, has missed five games and part of another this season with a hamstring injury. The Steelers are 3-2 when he does not start, 5-0 when he does. They have converted 10 of 18 red zone trips into touchdowns when he plays but just 7 of 23 when he does not.
I asked Gilbert about that in the aftermath of the team's 40-17 win over the Titans last Thursday night.
"Oh man, I need to stay on the field then," Gilbert told me.
Gilbert was not in the team's locker room Monday when the Steelers returned to practice. They had the weekend off after the win against the Titans. Gilbert issued this statement on his Twitter account Monday evening:
— Marcus Gilbert (@MarcusGilbert88) November 20, 2017
He will lose $1 million in salary during his suspension.
With Gilbert out, the Steelers will again turn to Chris Hubbard at right tackle. Hubbard has made all five starts in place of Gilbert this season and three last year when Gilbert was out with an ankle injury. The Steelers are 4-4 in those games.
Other Steelers have been suspended by the league in recent years for violation of the substance abuse policy, including Le'Veon Bell and Martavis Bryant. But Gilbert is the first Steelers player to be suspended for PED use since offensive tackle Paul Wiggins in 1998.
The Steelers can add a player to their 53-man roster to replace Gilbert during the suspension.
The team has to make a decision whether to activate rookie cornerback Cameron Sutton off injured reserve by Tuesday, so the suspension could open a roster spot for him.
But it also leaves the Steelers thin at the offensive tackle position. With Hubbard in the starting lineup, Matt Feiler steps into the top reserve role at offensive tackle. Feiler has played just a handful of snaps this season at tackle, stepping in for the final series in a win at Detroit when Hubbard was injured.
The Steelers also have second-year player Jerald Hawkins at the position. Hawkins has never appeared in a regular season game.