Tennessee Titans defensive back Nazeeh Johnson will start the 2026 NFL regular season serving a six-game suspension after he violated the league’s policy regarding performance-enhancing substances.
The situation, though, appears to be more than meets the eye and has drawn plenty of reaction since Johnson issued a heart-wrenching response to the decision that told a different story.
Here’s what we know and how the situation has developed.
Tennessee Titans DB Nazeeh Johnson Issues Response To Suspension
Johnson took to social media shortly after the news broke, making clear that what happened was not intentional. The defensive back says he and his wife, Gabby Irving, were trying to conceive a child, and that he did not know there was a substance in the medication he was taking that was not allowed.
“We found out that I was infertile, and I took a fertility medication that was helping me try to conceive a baby,” Johnson wrote on X.
“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.”
Irving added on with her own statement on “X” that echoed Johnson’s sentiment.
“This is real life. This is a lot of people’s lives,” she wrote. “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.”
Controversy Surrounds NFL’s Decision To Suspend Nazeeh Johnson Ahead Of 2026 Season
If all that Johnson says is true, the situation at hand is nothing short of a tragedy — and there has already been plenty of uproar across social media since the announcement broke. To add to that, according to a report from The Winchester Star, Johnson was told this was a medication he could take while still complying with NFL rules.
“Johnson said Clomid was recommended to him by a doctor not affiliated with the Kansas City Chiefs, the team he spent the first four years of his NFL career with,” the report read. “Before taking Clomid, Johnson said he checked with a doctor affiliated with the Chiefs to see if it was OK to take it. Johnson said he was told he could. However, after Johnson learned he had tested positive for banned substances in March, Johnson said that doctor told him he doesn’t remember having that conversation.”
The report goes on to state that the Titans defender had an appeal hearing in front of an arbitrator on July 22 to have the suspension thrown out, or at a minimum, reduced. That did not happen.
In the meantime, Johnson is eligible to participate in all preseason activities, including taking the field. His suspension is set to run from Aug. 20 to Oct. 19.
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