MINNEAPOLIS >> The NFL has suspended Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jerome Simpson for the first three games of the 2012 season, punishing him for a felony drug conviction tied to a marijuana shipment to his home last fall.

Simpson was suspended for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy. He was also fined one game check, the league announced Monday, meaning he must forfeit nearly one-fourth of his $800,000 salary this year including the three weeks he won’t be paid while being barred from team activities and facilities.

Simpson is allowed to participate in all preseason practices and games, but will miss games against Jacksonville on Sept. 9, at Indianapolis on Sept. 16 and Sept. 24 against San Francisco. ESPN had reported that he would be suspended for three games.

The 26-year-old Simpson left Cincinnati to sign a one-year contract with Minnesota. He acknowledged his pending punishment during interviews, admitting last week "it’s kind of frustrating" for him to think about having to sit out his first three games with his new team.

"I won’t be out there with my guys playing the game I love, but it’s the technicality of my situation," Simpson said.

Authorities said they tracked a shipment of 2 1/2 pounds of marijuana to his Kentucky home in September and that they found another pound of the drug inside the house.  Simpson was sentenced to 15 days in jail, three years of probation and 200 hours of community service plus a $7,500 fine and court costs. He previously pleaded guilty a prohibited act relating to controlled substances.