SATURDAY, 8:56am: Elam has been shifted from the injured reserve to the reserve-suspended list for this week, reports Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter).
FRIDAY, 3:52pm: Safety Matt Elam has been suspended one game for violating the NFL’s policy on substances of abuse, the Ravens announced today (via Twitter). Elam has been on Baltimore’s injured reserve list all season, so he’ll serve his suspension immediately, and it won’t affect him next year, according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
“We have been aware of this situation for a while,” the Ravens said in a statement (via Twitter). “Matt has been in our building rehabbing his injury on a regular basis, and he will continue to do so.”
Elam, 24, started 26 regular season contests at safety for the Ravens during his first two NFL seasons. However, having led the team in missed tackles and struggled mightily in coverage, he was bumped from Baltimore’s lineup in favor of Will Hill down the stretch in 2014. Elam entered 2015 looking to redeem himself, but suffered a complete biceps tear in training camp, ending his season.
While Elam won’t miss any games due to his one-game suspension, he’ll miss out on a pay check, reducing his 2015 salary by 1/17th (about $60K).