National Football League

Reports: Jets TE Winslow faces drug possession charge

Published Jan. 10, 2014 2:07 a.m. ET

foxsports

New York Jets tight end Kellen Winslow may be in more hot water over drugs, only this time they're not of the performance-enhancing variety.

Winslow, who served a four-game suspension for violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy earlier this season, appeared in a New Jersey courtroom Wednesday, facing a charge of possession of synthetic marijuana, according to multiple reports.

First reported by the Daily Record (NJ), Winslow, 30, was found in possession of Fubinaca on Nov. 19 along a road in New Jersey, though the complaint was not signed until Dec. 30, the day after the regular season ended. He is charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance, a third-degree offense according to the report.

According to reports, Winslow was in court Wednesday with attorney David Blair for a "central judicial processing" hearing, which allows defendants to obtain copies of the complaints and evidence against them before being a date for a future court hearing. According to ESPN, Winslow faces up to five years in prison if convicted.

The Daily Record quoted Jets team spokesman Bruce Speight as saying, "We are aware of the situation. This is a pending legal matter and we will have no comment."

Winslow was suspended four games for violating the league's policy on PEDs in October, and return for the Week 11 game at Buffalo, just two days before this latest incident.

Winslow was drafted by Cleveland in the first round of the 2004 draft and has played nine seasons with Cleveland, Tampa Bay, New England and the Jets, catching 469 passes for 5,236 yards and 25 touchdowns. He had 31 receptions for 388 yards and a pair of scores for the Jets this season.