SEATTLE: Seattle Seahawks cornerback Brandon Browner, set to become a free agent next week, said that he has been reinstated by the National Football League.
The NFL suspended Browner indefinitely last December after he lost an appeal over a one-year ban for a second violation of the NFL substance-abuse policy.
That kept Browner out of the Super Bowl, where the Seahawks beat Denver to win their first NFL title.
Browner said Tuesday on Twitter that his ban was over and thanked NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell for resolving the matter “in a positive, productive manner so I can continue my career, provide for my family, and help my team win a Super Bowl.”
Browner, 29, says he understands “now more than ever that being part of the NFL is not a right, but a privilege.”
The announcement came after Browner had threatened to file a federal lawsuit against the NFL.
Browner sat out the last four games of the 2012 season after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance.
In 36 career NFL games, Browner has 117 tackles and 10 interceptions.
Defensive end Greg Hardy wasted no time signing the one-year franchise tender from the Carolina Panthers, who officially applied the restrictive tag to retain the free agent on Monday.
The tender for defensive ends is $13.116m, but Hardy and management appear to be on the same page in the sense that each side is focused on getting a long-term deal in place.
The deadline for signing franchise players to a long-term contract is July 15.
Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker Jason Worilds signed his one-year transition tender and is scheduled to make $9.754m for the 2014 season, multiple media outlets reported on Tuesday.
The Dallas Cowboys and quarterback Tony Romo have agreed to a restructured contract that will create $10m in salary cap space and bring the team to less than $1m over the cap, according to ESPN.com.
Agencies
