Titans cornerback Nazeeh Johnson revealed the struggles of his personal life has influenced his professional life, as he violated the NFL's PED policy and received a six-game ban
Nazeeh Johnson signed with the Tennessee Titans after four seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs
Nazeeh Johnson signed with the Tennessee Titans after four seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs(Image: Getty Images)
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Tennessee Titans cornerback Nazeeh Johnson claimed his suspension for violating the drug use policy was due to fertility medication.
On Friday, the NFL announced that Johnson would be suspended for the first six games of the Titans’ 2026 season. This means the 28-year-old will miss clashes with the Jets, Eagles, Giants, Ravens, Texans, and Colts — whose coach suffered a freak injury on the final play of Indy’s first preseason game.
Johnson was deemed to have violated the NFL's Performance-Enhancing Substances Policy. He can finish training camp and preseason with the team, but will go on the suspension list beginning August 30 and be eligible for reinstatement on Monday, October 19.
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It’s a frustrating roadblock for Johnson, who signed for the Titans in July as veteran competition in the secondary. He even played in the Titans’ 19-13 preseason win over the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday, tallying five total tackles (four solo).
But according to Johnson, violating the performance-enhancing substances policy was not his fault. He claims the incident stems from his attempts to improve the chances of having a baby with his wife.
Johnson also revealed that he and his wife are going through a tough time, as they lost a child early in the process.
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Nazeeh Johnson was suspended six games by the NFL on Friday
Nazeeh Johnson was suspended six games by the NFL on Friday(Image: Getty Images)
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“My wife and I were trying to conceive a child,” Johnson wrote in a statement published to social media. “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.”
Johnson entered the league as a seventh-round pick by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2022 NFL Draft following a productive college career at Marshall. After four seasons at the AFC West franchise, Johnson departed as a free agent this offseason and landed in Tennessee.
While he dealt with multiple injuries with the Chiefs, Johnson developed into a solid backup and core special-teams player, recording 66 tackles and one sack in 29 career games. He made six starts over that span.
Now, his future in the league is up in the air. It will be interesting to see how Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi and head coach Robert Saleh handle his suspension and the personal context provided.