Houston Texans defensive tackle Mario Edwards Jr. has been suspended for four games after violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. In contrast, defensive lineman Denico Autry has been reinstated following his own suspension.
Mario Edwards Jr., a defensive tackle with the Houston Texans, has been given a four-game suspension for breaking the National Football League's rules regarding substance usage, according to an announcement made by the league on Monday.
Following Edwards' outstanding performance on Sunday, in which he registered eight tackles in the Texans' 41-21 victory over the New England Patriots, the news comes as a result of his outstanding performance. As a result of this game, Houston earned their third consecutive victory, bringing their overall record for the season to 5-1.
Edwards, who inked a contract with the Texans during the offseason that was for $1.65 million for one year, has produced a total of 18 tackles and two sacks with the team so far this season. Edwards is currently facing a ban for the second time; in 2021, he was reprimanded for breaking the league's rules on performance-enhancing drugs, and this is the second time he has been considered for suspension. After being selected by the Raiders in the second round of the draft in 2015, the defensive tackle, who is now 30 years old, has subsequently played for a number of different teams before joining Houston.
Despite the fact that Edwards will be out of action for the next month, the Texans were given a boost on Monday as defensive lineman Denico Autry returned to the team. A similar violation of the National Football League's regulation regarding performance-enhancing drugs resulted in Autry's ban for six games, which he completed before being restored. It is anticipated that Autry will improve Houston's defense after posting a career-high 11.5 sacks with the Tennessee Titans in the previous season. Autry was signed to a two-year, $20 million contract earlier this year.
Lambeau Field will play host to the Texans' matchup with the Green Bay Packers this coming Sunday. After their game against the Detroit Lions on November 10, Edwards is eligible to return to the squad and play for them again.
