ArDarius Stewart of the New York Jets will likely miss the first two games of the season with a suspension for PEDs.
The New York Jets will potentially be without one their young receivers for the first two games of the season. ArDarius Stewart, the team’s 2017 third-round selection, is set to be suspended the first two games of the season, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The league has yet to comment on or confirm the suspension.
Sources: #Jets WR ArDarius Stewart is facing a two-game suspension for violating the NFL’s Policy on Performance-Enhancing Substances by testing positive for a diuretic or masking agent. The suspension has not been announced and a league spokesman had no comment.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 20, 2018
Stewart, 24, signed a four-year deal with the Jets last May. The Alabama alum had trouble breaking through on the Jets crowded depth chart, loaded with veterans, and tallied only 82 yards on six receptions in his rookie season. His most notable activity of the season came in August when he picked up 82 yards and two touchdowns in the Jets’ annual preseason battle with the New York Giants.
This concludes a tough week for Jets’ receivers, namely ones chosen in the early rounds by general manager Mike Maccagnan. On Monday, Devin Smith, an oft-injured second-round pick from 2015, was waived.
This suspension won’t help Stewart’s chances of carving out more time on the field this year. The revamped Jets wide receiving corps was already going to be difficult for the young receiver to find consistent playing time. He’s already low on the depth chart and this won’t do him any favors with the coaching staff.
Should Stewart’s suspension be confirmed by the league, he will miss the team’s first two games, including their Monday night opener on Sept. 10 in Detroit, as well as their home opener six days later against Miami.
