BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Bills running back Marshawn Lynch has filed an appeal with the NFL contesting his suspension without pay for the first three games of the season.
The NFL confirmed Thursday that an appeal was filed, but did not provide details, including when the appeal might be heard. Lynch's agent, Doug Hendrickson, did not return phone and e-mail messages.
Lynch was suspended last month for violating the league's personal conduct policy after he pleaded guilty in March to a misdemeanor gun charge in Los Angeles. He was sentenced to 80 hours of community service and three years' probation.
The charge was a result of the player's arrest on Feb. 11, when police in Culver City, Calif., searched a parked car Lynch was in and found a 9mm semiautomatic handgun inside a backpack in the trunk. Police also found four marijuana cigarettes in the car, but no drug charges were filed.
Lynch apologized for his actions and anticipated he would be suspended after meeting with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.
It was Lynch's second run-in with the law following a hit-and run-accident in Buffalo last May. A month later, he pleaded guilty to a traffic violation and admitted driving off after striking a female pedestrian with his car near Buffalo's downtown bar district.
He was not disciplined by the league following the accident.
The suspension takes effect after the Bills' final preseason game. Lynch will be allowed to take part in the team's offseason programs, including training camp. Pending the appeal, Lynch is barred from taking part in any team activities for the first three weeks of the regular season, and can't rejoin the team until the week of Sept. 28.
Players have been successful in appealing their suspensions.
Last summer, Broncos receiver Brandon Marshall was suspended for three games for his conduct -- including a drunken-driving arrest -- but had it reduced to one game. Brandon also was arrested following two separate confrontations with his girlfriend.
Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press
