St. Louis Rams WR Austin Pettis Suspended For PED Violations

St. Louis Rams wide receiver Austin Pettis has been suspended for four games after testing positive for performance enhancing drugs, according to Jim Thomas of the Post Dispatch. With just two games left in the 2011 regular season, Pettis will finish out his suspension next season.

Pettis was the Rams' third-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. A 6'3" 209 lbs receiver out of Boise State, he was originally seen as a red zone weapon for a Rams offense that struggled inside the 20 last season. Obviously those struggles have continued this year, and Pettis was playing in the slot after the Rams lost Danny Amendola and Greg Salas to injuries.

The rookie receiver did some punt return work for the Rams, and always seemed to make it an adventure given his limited grasp of the fair catch.

Pettis has yet to impress, but third-round rookies don't usually come on strong in their first season. He has 27 catches with 256 yards.