Veteran nose tackle Jason Ferguson has been suspended for the first eight games of next season for violating NFL policy on performance-enhancing substances.

The NFL confirmed on Sunday that the discipline was handed down late this week. No further details were available. This is not Ferguson’s first time in the principal’s office, as he was also suspended four games for violating NFL drug policy in 1999 and tested positive for marijuana at the scouting combine in 1997.

Drafted in 1997, Ferguson played eight seasons with the New York Jets and three with the Dallas Cowboys before joining Miami in 2008. He has 325 career tackles.

Ferguson was sidelined with a season-ending quadriceps injury in November and underwent surgery a month later. The 35-year-old had been in on 23 tackles in nine games for the Dolphins last season. Coach Tony Sparano called him a “heck of a player” at the time of his injury.

A Dolphins spokesman, Harvey Greene, said Ferguson remained a free agent and had not signed a new contract.

The team has not said whether they planned to re-sign Ferguson for next season. I can’t imagine this has helped his cause in any way.