Bolden suspended for 4 games: PEDs

Niners wide receiver Victor Bolden has been suspended for the first four regular-season games for taking a supplement he says he didn’t know was on the NFL’s banned list, the team announced Friday.

Bolden, a kick returner who appeared in nine games last year and didn’t have a catch, is eligible to participate in all offseason practices and preseason games.

Even before his violation of the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances, Bolden wasn’t guaranteed to make the 49ers’ 53-man roster.

“Unknowingly, I used a supplement that was on the NFL’s banned substance list,” Bolden said in a statement. “As a professional athlete, I take full responsibility for not verifying the ingredients of the supplement. In the future, I will be much better educated when choosing what to put in my body.”

In a statement, general manager John Lynch said: “Victor made an unintentional mistake, but learned a valuable lesson. Professional athletes must be meticulous in their supplement choices. We know Victor is disappointed, but we hope this is a reminder to all our players how important it is to make educated decisions on what to put in their bodies.”

Bolden, who entered the NFL last year as an undrafted free agent from Oregon State, averaged 20.8 yards on 19 kickoff returns last year. He also averaged 5.8 yards on four punt returns.