The New York Jets will lose Brandon Copeland for the first four games of the season, as the linebacker was suspended for PED use.
The hits keep coming for the New York Jets, who lost another defensive starter before Week 1.
Linebacker Brandon Copeland will be suspended for the first four regular-season games of the 2019 NFL season for a violation of the league’s performance-enhancing substance policy. The team announced the suspension on Wednesday afternoon.
Copeland, 28, is set to enter his second New York season. He had 35 tackles and five sacks in his 2018 debut. Two previous seasons were spent with the Detroit Lions.
The linebacker is eligible to partake in all remaining preseason games and practices. He has earned five tackles over the first two games, including two in the Jets’ 22-10 win over the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday night.
Copeland is the second Jet who will be missing for the first quarter of the year. Tight end Chris Herndon will miss the first four games for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy, likely stemming from a 2018 DUI arrest.
The Jets’ linebacking corps has taken a hit over the past week. Thursday’s game saw them lose starter Avery Williamson for the season after the veteran tore his ACL.
The team signed New Orleans Saints first-round pick Stephone Alexander earlier this week. Alexander has worked with both head coach Adam Gase and outside linebackers coach Joe Vitt in previous stops in Miami and New Orleans respectively.
New York returns to preseason action on Saturday night, as they take on the aforementioned Saints at MetLife Stadium (7:30 p.m. ET, WCBS).
