Former Titans defender Denico Autry suspended for violating PED regulations

The Houston Texans had a stellar season in 2023, thanks largely to the efforts of Offensive Rookie of the Year quarterback CJ Stroud and the work of his talented wide receivers Tank Dell and Nico Collins. With the offense firing on all cylinders and adding players in the offseason to take them to the next level — like former Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs and Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon — the defense had to reshuffle to hold up its end of the bargain.

And they’ve repositioned themselves. In the offseason, the Texans signed former Minnesota Vikings defensive end Danielle Hunter and former Tennessee Titans defensive end Denico Autry to pair them with Defensive Rookie of the Year winner Will Anderson. Unfortunately for the Texans and Autry’s remaining Tennessee fans, news came Monday that they will be without Autry for the first six games of the season because he is suspended.

The league announced that Autry was suspended for the first six weeks of the season for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances (PEDs). Autry denies intentionally violating the policy, stating:

“During my 10-year NFL career, I have never used any performance-enhancing drugs,” he said. “During that time, I have been subjected to countless tests, none of which have ever returned a positive result. So I was stunned this offseason to learn that one of my tests returned a positive result.”

Autry further said he investigated the matter and found that the pharmacy that received the prescription had “whether intentionally, recklessly or negligently inserted a controlled substance.”

Autry spent the last three seasons with the Titans, providing a consistent pass rush from the outside. In his three seasons with the team, Autry averaged 9.5 sacks per season and set a career-high with 11.5 sacks last season. Autry also had double-digit quarterback hits in two of those three seasons with the Titans, showing his great ability to still cause trouble even after his 30th season.

Autry has accepted the league’s punishment for violating the rules and will miss the Texans’ first six games of the season. Autry will be eligible to play again for the team’s seventh game, a matchup against the Green Bay Packers. Tennessee doesn’t have its first game against Houston until Week 12, so Autry should be available for his first (and second) game against his former team. Titans fans won’t be able to see Autry against his former home crowd until the final week of the season.