Nazeeh Johnson’s 2026 season has taken an unexpected turn. He was already dealing with trouble on the field, having been suspended for a PED violation. The defensive back shared a tragic explanation for his predicament on X.
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“My wife and I were trying to conceive a child. We found out that I was infertile, and I took a fertility medication that was helping me try to conceive a baby,” he wrote. “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.”
His explanation provides the circumstances behind a positive test that will now keep him off the field for the opening six games.
The NFL announced the suspension on Aug. 14. Johnson’s ban begins Aug. 30, and he will be eligible for reinstatement on Oct. 19. The timing means he will miss the beginning of his first season with Tennessee after signing with the Titans in late July.
Nazeeh Johnson came to Tennessee having won two Super Bowls with the Kansas City Chiefs.
The NFL’s rules leave little room for exceptions in cases like this. The NFLPA says a player who needs a prohibited substance for medical treatment must have an approved Therapeutic Use Exemption before taking it; otherwise, a positive test can still be treated as a violation.
The suspension will also affect Johnson financially. NFL suspensions for PED violations are served without pay. The penalty comes only months after he signed a one-year deal with the Titans and was trying to establish himself with a new team.
On the field, Tennessee will now have to work without a defensive back who was expected to provide experience and special-teams help. Johnson had already made his preseason debut for the Titans and recorded five tackles in the Titans’ 19-13 preseason win over the San Francisco 49ers, so the team will have to look elsewhere for those snaps as it finishes shaping the roster.
For Johnson, the football consequences are only part of the story. His message to other players is a reminder that even when there are difficult personal circumstances behind a medical decision, NFL players still have to follow the league’s approval process before taking a prohibited substance.