Titans' Nazeeh Johnson Says Fertility Medication Led To Six-game NFL Suspension For PED Violation

Sports

August 15, 2026
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New Tennessee Titans cornerback Nazeeh Johnson was suspended by the NFL for the first six regular-season games without pay for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing substances policy. The suspension begins Aug. 30, meaning Johnson can participate in Tennessee’s two remaining preseason games. He is eligible for reinstatement Monday, Oct. 19.

On Friday evening, Johnson took to social media to explain that the banned substance found in his body came from a fertility medication. In a vulnerable post, Johnson explained that he and his wife lost their baby a few weeks ago but are hoping to add to their family in the future.

“My wife and I were trying to conceive a child. We found out that I was infertile, and I took a fertility medication that was helping me try to conceive a baby. I was not aware that there was a substance in the medication that was on the banned list, and I tested positive for a PED. Lesson to all NFL players and new players coming into the league: do not put anything in your body without following the process and getting approval beforehand. We lost our baby a few weeks ago, and this has been an incredibly difficult time for my wife and me. Fortunately, we have nine good eggs left, so we’re holding on to hope that we’ll be able to grow our family.”

This is real life. This is a lot of people’s lives. It can be a joke or a chance to tear someone down—but for us, it’s our life. There’s no fun in it. Just pain, tears, and recently, disappointment. And that pain doesn’t end when football does. pic.twitter.com/LUV1fbGwYI

— Gabby J (@gabrielleSTORM_) August 14, 2026

Johnson was one of four players the NFL suspended on Friday. The 28-year-old was listed as a third-string cornerback on Tennessee’s first depth chart. He tied for the team lead with five tackles during the Titans’ 19-13 preseason victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday night.

Titans CB depth chart

	First string	Second string	Third string
CB	Alontae Taylor	Micah Robinson	Mario Goodrich III
NCB	Marcus Harris	Keydrain Calligan	Jalen McMurray
CB	Cor’Dale Flott	Joshua Williams	Nazeeh Johnson

Johnson signed with the Titans less than a month ago. The former seventh-round pick out of Marshall spent his first four seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, winning two Super Bowls, but played just two games last year because of a shoulder injury. In 29 career games, including six starts, Johnson has recorded 66 tackles, three passes defensed and one sack.

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Original source: https://www.cbssports.com/