The NFL has suspended new Seattle Seahawks linebacker Mychal Kendricks, but the suspension has been appealed and is expected to be heard in the next 10 days or so, league sources told ESPN.
Because the suspension is under appeal, Kendricks can and will make his Seahawks debut Monday night against the Chicago Bears, according to sources. Seattle needs Kendricks after already ruling out injured linebackers Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright.
The league suspended Kendricks last week after he had a meeting with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, according to sources. But Kendricks' case is a sticky one for the NFL, which has unintentionally found itself in an awkward situation.
Even though Kendricks pleaded guilty to insider trading last week, he never profited off it, made immediate restitution and has no criminal record. He is not scheduled to be sentenced until Jan. 24, when, based on federal guidelines, he could be facing 30 to 37 months in prison.
Before the Cleveland Browns released Kendricks last month, the NFL was strongly considering placing him on the commissioner's exempt list. Now the league must figure out what to do with a player involved in a white-collar crime who has tried to make amends for the situation.
Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said Saturday that the team did all of the research it could before signing Kendricks.
"We had done a lot of homework on it," Carroll said. "It happened four and a half years ago, so it's a story that's been worked on for a long time. There's a lot of good information. We've come to learn who he is and what he's all about and how remorseful he was and how he admitted to his mistake a long time ago."
Carroll also said the Seahawks have been in communication with the league but that "there's nothing that we can really report on it. We have to respect the process right now and just wait it out."
ESPN's Brady Henderson contributed to this report.