NFL's Nazeeh Johnson Suspended Six Games After Positive PED Test Tied to Fertility Drug Clomid
核心洞察
Tennessee Titans (搜索) cornerback Nazeeh Johnson received a six-game suspension for violating the NFL's performance-enhancing substances policy after testing positive for a banned substance.
Johnson stated the positive test resulted from a fertility medication he took while trying to conceive with his wife, unaware it contained a banned ingredient.
The drug involved was Clomid (clomiphene citrate), an FDA-approved female fertility treatment prescribed off-label to men to raise sperm count and testosterone.
Tennessee Titans (搜索) cornerback Nazeeh Johnson will miss the first six games of the 2026 season after the NFL suspended him Friday for violating its policy on performance-enhancing substances. The two-time Super Bowl winner said the positive test stemmed from a fertility medication he took while he and his wife were trying to conceive a child, and that he was unaware the drug contained a banned substance.
Johnson, 28, addressed the suspension in a statement on X. "My wife and I were trying to conceive a child," Johnson wrote. "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."
He also issued a caution to fellow athletes. "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," he wrote.
Johnson shared a personal loss alongside the news. "We lost our baby a few weeks ago, and this has been an incredibly difficult time for my wife and me," he wrote. "Fortunately, we have nine good eggs left, so we're holding on to hope that we'll be able to grow our family."
The Drug Behind the Positive Test
The Winchester Star reported the drug was Clomid, the brand name for clomiphene citrate. Clomid is approved for female infertility caused by ovulatory disorder, but the FDA has not approved it for use in men. Physicians nonetheless prescribe it to men off-label to raise sperm count and sperm movement.
Because clomiphene can also raise testosterone, anti-doping agencies ban it. The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency lists clomiphene as a hormone and metabolic modulator.
The NFL does allow players to apply for a therapeutic use exemption, which permits a player to take a banned substance for a legitimate medical reason. Johnson did not have one because he did not know the drug was on the banned list.
Precedent for Fertility-Drug Suspensions
Johnson is not the first NFL player suspended over Clomid. Indianapolis Colts (搜索) pass rusher Robert Mathis served a four-game suspension in 2014 after testing positive for the drug. His agent said Mathis took it only for fertility, and his wife was pregnant at the time.
New York Giants (搜索) wide receiver Golden Tate served a four-game suspension in 2019. Tate said he started a prescribed treatment and learned days later that it contained a banned ingredient, then stopped taking it and reported it to the league before the test was confirmed. His appeal was denied.
Timeline and Career Context
Johnson learned of the positive test in February. He appealed on July 22 and signed with Tennessee on July 27, with the suspension coming after that appeal was heard. The suspension begins after Tennessee cuts its roster to 53 players on August 30, and he can be reinstated on October 19.
Johnson remains eligible to participate in all preseason activities, including games. He recorded five tackles in Tennessee's 19-13 win over the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday and took 37 of his 38 defensive snaps at outside cornerback.
The Marshall product signed a one-year deal worth $1,075,000 in July, with a base salary of $716,667. Johnson was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs (搜索) in the seventh round in 2022 and helped them win the Super Bowl in 2023 and 2024 before joining Tennessee in July. Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi was Kansas City's assistant general manager when the Chiefs drafted him.