Defensive end Mike Neal returned to Packers practice Wednesday after being suspended for the first four games of the season for violating the NFL’s performance enhancing drug policy. (US Presswire)

Packers DE Mike Neal is a workout fanatic. He set program weightlifting records at Purdue. He packs a chiseled 294 pounds on his 6-foot-3 frame and is rarely seen smiling in the locker room.

He's not someone to tangle with or provoke.

So when Neal was suspended for the first month of the season and banned from team practices and facilities, he took out his frustration in the weight room back home in Tampa, Fla. He added four pounds of muscle as his teammates endured a tumultuous four weeks that resulted in a 2-2 record.

In the offseason, Neal was suspended four games for violating the league’s performance enhancing drugs policy because he used the prescription drug Adderall without the NFL’s permission. He participated in training camp and the preseason, though he received limited reps in practice and few snaps in games because the team knew he’d be out the first month. Then, when training camp ended, he had to back his bags.

But having served his four-week suspension, Neal was back in Green Bay and practiced for the first time in the regular season Wednesday. He said he wanted to play in Sunday’s game at Indianapolis.

“Any competitive person would be like, ‘You know what, I’m going to play,’” Neal said. “So that’s who I am. I’m a competitor. I want to play. But if it’s not my time, it’s not my time.”

Neal has not had an easy time in Green Bay since being drafted in the second round in 2010. He missed much of his first two seasons with injuries and has battled the injury-prone label that has accompanied those health problems. But he said the only criticism he cares about is his own.  

“I never feel like I have to prove anything to anybody but myself,” Neal said. “I was able to let a lot of my frustrations go the first two years, and proving to myself that I belong here is one of my biggest things. As long as I can do that, I’m content.”

The Packers were given a one-week roster exemption for Neal upon his return from suspension. That means they can watch him practice this week and evaluate where he’s at without Neal counting on the 53-man roster. If they decide to activate him for the game against the Colts, however, they would have to make a corresponding move.

On Wednesday, coach Mike McCarthy said he was pleased with what he saw from Neal but hasn’t yet made a decision about his roster status.

“I had a chance to watch Mike Neal a lot today,” McCarthy said. “He looks to be in great shape. He wasn’t winded at all. Fresh legs. He had a good practice. I’d like to watch the tape with the coaches, and then we’ll watch him again tomorrow. I think tomorrow’s padded practice will give us a better indication where he is.”

Follow Packers reporter James Carlton on Twitter: @CBSPackers and @jimmycarlton88.