Dwayne Bowe will be suspended 1 game, miss KC Chiefs season opener vs. Tennessee Titans

NFL statement

Dwayne Bowe of the Kansas City Chiefs has been suspended without pay for the first game of the 2014 regular season for violating the NFL Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse. 

Bowe will be eligible to return to the Chiefs' active roster on Monday, September 8 following the team'sSeptember 7 game against the Tennessee Titans.

Bowe is eligible to participate in all offseason and preseason practices and games.

Chiefs statement

Dwayne has been given a one-game suspension by the National Football League. We are disappointed in the situation and will miss him on the field, but we support the league’s decision. The club will have no further comment on the matter.

Dwayne Bowe's statement

"I am extremely sorry that I can’t be on the field for the first game of the 2014 season because I made an error in judgment. I take responsibility for my mistake, and it will not happen again. I hope that my teammates, coaches, and Chiefs fans accept my sincere apology. I will be supporting my teammates in week one, and I cannot wait to get back on the field to help us win in week two and beyond as we work towards our goal of winning the Super Bowl." (via @theprogramKC)

Will Bowe appeal the suspension?

Bowe does NOT need the #Chiefs' approval or cooperation to appeal. He has five days from being notified about the suspension to appeal.

— Terez A. Paylor (@TerezPaylor) August 15, 2014

The cost of the suspension

Chiefs WR Dwayne Bowe suspended without pay for season-opener. With $8.75M base salary this year, one weeks’ pay for him is $514,706.

— Brian McIntyre (@brian_mcintyre) August 15, 2014

It's now a little easier for KC to cut Dwayne Bowe. His $8.75M & $1.5M '14 & '15 base salary guarantees void because of his suspension.

— Joel Corry (@corryjoel) August 15, 2014

This means Bowe would miss the first game on the Chiefs 2014 schedule -- Tennessee Titans at Arrowhead. If he were going to miss a game on the Chiefs schedule ... this seems like one of the winnable ones.

Bowe is obviously the Chiefs No. 1 receiver so this does hurt. Behind Bowe at receiver, the Chiefs have Donnie Avery, Junior Hemingway, AJ Jenkins, Albert Wilson and others. All those guys can line up on the outside (and a few in the slot, too). They could take on a wide-receiver-by-committee approach to fill Bowe's void. Jamaal Charles remains the focal point of the offense, however.

A one-game suspension for a marijuana-related arrest is in line with the league's previous history of punishment, assuming that's what this is. This is where people mention that Bowe technically pled guilty to littering and defective equipment, which is true. But the NFL doesn't have to follow the lead of the police or the court system. This is part of the reason there is a big debate on how the NFL doles out its punishments.

Bowe was arrested on November 12, 2013 when he was pulled over for speeding and the police officer alleges to have discovered marijuana in his car. Bowe claimed his innocence shortly thereafter with the passenger in his car claiming the weed was his.  Last April, the marijuana charge was thrown out and he pleaded guilty to lesser charges. Bowe had one previous incident in which he was suspended four games for violating the league's policy on PEDs (said to be a diet pill).

Also: Should the Chiefs cut Bowe? I say no.