Ricky Williams was suspended for four NFL regular-season games at the start of the 2005 season.
The suspension stemmed from a violation of the NFL’s substance-abuse policy. Williams had tested positive for marijuana in December 2003, and the league announced in 2004 that he would face a four-game suspension. He had also previously tested positive after joining the Miami Dolphins.
Williams officially returned to the Dolphins in July 2005 after sitting out the 2004 season following his first retirement from football. He missed Miami’s first four games, then returned to the lineup and shared the backfield with rookie Ronnie Brown. His 2005 season ultimately included 12 games, 743 rushing yards, and six touchdowns.
This suspension is often confused with Williams’s later penalty. In February 2006, the NFL announced another violation, and he was suspended for the entire 2006 season. That later full-season suspension was separate from the four-game penalty that opened the 2005 campaign.