National Football League

Titans' Hall will miss first four games

Published Sep. 3, 2011 1:00 a.m. ET

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The NFL has suspended Tennessee fullback Ahmard Hall for the first four games without pay for violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing substances.

The suspension was announced Saturday along with the Titans' roster moves.

Hall's suspension begins immediately, and he will return to the active roster Oct. 3 after the Titans play the Cleveland Browns. Tennessee swapped an undisclosed future draft pick to the Green Bay Packers for fullback Quinn Johnson to fill the gap in an offense that will center on the running game. Johnson, a fifth-round pick out of LSU in 2009, has played in 20 NFL games, including four starts last year for the Super Bowl winners.

Hall signed a one-year contract to return to the Titans for his sixth season with Tennessee. The former Marine signed with the Titans as a free agent after walking on at Texas. He is a key blocker for three-time Pro Bowl running back Chris Johnson.

''We have known that a suspension was a possibility for some time, and we have used the preseason to identify players that would fit the mold of what we needed, if Ahmard had to miss games,'' Titans general manager Mike Reinfeldt said in a statement. ''Johnson is a traditional, downhill, blocking fullback who we think will fill that need. He is a former fifth round pick, who has done a nice job over the last two years for Green Bay.''

Hall did not immediately return a message from The Associated Press on Saturday.

This is the second straight season the Titans have had a starter miss the first four games of the season due to such a suspension. Linebacker Gerald McRath sat out the first four games last year.