OWINGS MILLS - Ravens reserve cornerback Asa Jackson has been suspended without pay for the first eight games of the regular season for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing drugs.
The NFL announced the suspension Friday afternoon.
The violation is Jackson's second offense. He was suspended four games as a rookie last season for unauthorized use of Adderall.
"My reaction to that is that you've got to follow the rules," Baltimore coach John Harbaugh said. "If you don't follow the rules, you get suspended. That's a fair rule, there's no place for that, and he's getting what he deserves.
"As far as what it does to our corner depth, that's one less corner that we have. We'll be missing Asa those first eight weeks. Whether he'll back after that, time will tell."
Jackson was a fifth-round pick of the Ravens in last year's NFL draft.
He saw action in four games late last season (including one playoff game), but he entered training camp in a battle for one of Baltimore's final roster spots at cornerback.
Four spots appear to be locked up, and Chris Johnson appears to have a fifth spot locked up, leaving Jackson competing with seventh-round pick Marc Anthony and undrafted free agent Moe Lee for a potential sixth cornerback job.
But Harbaugh said a decision on Jackson's place on the roster isn't imminent. Jackson will not count against the Ravens' 53-man roster the first eight weeks of the regular season.
"What he needs to do is have a great camp and make us want him back after eight weeks and try to be in a position to help us during the second half of the season," Harbaugh said. "That will be a big challenge for him. We've talked about it quite a bit, and he's up for the challenge."
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