For whatever reasons or distractions, the slew of pending suspensions for the 2018 NFL season has kind of gone under the radar. It could be that most of these punishments impact the old guard of the NFL and not the hot, exciting young teams that have made splashes since last season.
What’s remarkable about this group is the sheer number of legit NFL stars facing a multiple game ban. Last year, before the season actually started, the only real starters looking at missing time were Ezekiel Elliott. Willie Snead. T.J. McDonald, Letroy Guion and David Irving. And, even then, Elliott was the only one you’d dub a star player (at the time).
It’s a significantly different suspension list in 2018.
Julian Edelman, WR, New England Patriots
2017: Did Not Play
Edelman was lost in the preseason last year with a knee injury and never took the field in 2017. The New England Patriots were obviously expecting him back to form this year after shipping off Brandin Cooks to the Los Angeles Rams. Whether Edelman is at full strength or not come opening day is irrelevant. He’s been suspended four games for violating the league’s PED ban.
Regardless of Edelman’s denials, it’s likely he was looking to hasten his injury recovery time utilizing medical resources that every human outside of professional sports has access to. That’s a whole other discussion in itself (and we’ll have it), but it doesn’t matter today. New England added Jordan Matthews as a free agent and Chris Hogan should be healthy and at full strength, so their outside receiver positions are set. It’s their slot spot, so valuable in Josh McDaniels’ offense, that will be hurting. No other receiver on their roster seems to fit that role for New England.
Mark Ingram, RB, New Orleans Saints
2017: 230 carries, 1,124 yards, 12 touchdowns, 58 receptions, 416 receiving yards
This suspension could not have come at a worse time for Ingram, who just finished off his second Pro Bowl season with the New Orleans Saints. He’s coming into the last year of his contract and shares the backfield with the reigning offensive rookie of the year, Alvin Kamara. This is not the time to miss any games, let alone four.
With the running back position so undervalued anyway, Ingram was going to spend 2018 auditioning for other teams. Now that audition won’t start until October and, even then, has the specter of an even longer second suspension hovering over it. Ingram lost money, important play time and probably a starting job if Kamara comes out the gate as strong as he ended 2017.
David Irving, DT, Dallas Cowboys
2017: 22 tackles, seven sacks, one forced fumble
Irving shows up on the list for the second year in a row. Last year it was four games for PEDs. This year it’s four games for “substance abuse,” so probably pot. It’s dumb that the NFL even cares about that in 2018, but that’s not the point of this article. (But that article is coming.)
While Irving’s suspension for the Cowboys last year was a bummer, he was so good in the eight games he did play in 2017 that it’s a real hit this year. Irving’s seven sacks in eight games prorates out to 14 in 16, which would have put him in the Pro Bowl and led all defensive tackles, even Aaron Donald of the Los Angles Rams. For a team that’s been desperate for a pass rush over the last half decade, they need Irving on the field. He won’t be until October.
Other key suspensions:
Cory Liuget, DT, Los Angeles Chargers
2017: 21 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 12 starts
Suspended four games for PEDs.
Vontaze Burfict, OLB, Cincinnati Bengals
2017: 69 tackles, 1.5 sacks, one forced fumble, two passes defended, 10 starts
Suspended four games for PEDs.
