Overview
- The NFL announced on Friday, Aug. 14 that Nazeeh Johnson will miss the first six regular-season games for violating the league’s Performance-Enhancing Substances policy.
- Johnson learned of a positive test in February, filed an appeal on July 22, and signed with the Tennessee Titans on July 27 before the suspension was announced.
- The suspension is unpaid, will begin when rosters are cut to 53 players on Aug. 30, and will make Johnson eligible for reinstatement on Oct. 19; reporting estimates he will forfeit roughly $350,000 in salary.
- Johnson publicly said the positive result came from a fertility medication he took while trying to conceive and that he and his wife recently suffered a miscarriage, but reporting does not confirm whether he applied for a Therapeutic Use Exemption.
- The case spotlights how some infertility treatments can contain banned substances, the NFL’s TUE rules that require prior approval, and short-term roster and depth questions for the Titans as the regular season opens.