New England Patriots

NFL Rumors: Rob Ninkovich suspended four games for PEDs

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

foxsports

New England Patriots defensive end Rob Ninkovich tested positive for a banned substance and will serve a four-game suspension to start the 2016 NFL season.

According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, “New England Patriots starting defensive end Rob Ninkovich will serve a four-game suspension to open the 2016 regular season after testing for a banned substance.” Reiss writes that Ninkovich “is devastated and shocked because he would never knowingly take an illegal substance.”

Ninkovich is quoted as saying, “Few things are more important to me and my reputation. This might call that into question for some, which has me heartbroken.”

Losing Ninkovich to start the 2016 NFL season hurts the Patriots defense considerably. He has been New England’s best defensive lineman for the last few seasons under defensive coordinator Matt Patricia.

Expected to step up in Ninkovich’s absence will be veteran pass rusher Chris Long and maybe even recently acquired Barkevious Mingo. Long spent his previous eight NFL seasons with the St. Louis Rams. Mingo was traded to the Patriots from the Cleveland Browns this preseason.

Patricia also has to figure out how to appropriately replace linebacker Chandler Jones in his front seven. Jones was traded to the Arizona Cardinals for offensive guard Jonathan Cooper this past winter. Ninkovich remains the cornerstone of New England’s front seven, but will have to tread water until he can return in Week 5.

New England was already going to be without starting quarterback Tom Brady for the first four weeks of 2016 due to the Deflategate suspension. The Patriots have known for months that Jimmy Garoppolo will be the team’s Week 1 starter, but losing Ninkovich days before severely hurts the Patriots’ chances of beating the Arizona Cardinals on September 11th.

The Patriots are still the favorite to win the AFC East until proven otherwise, but not having two of its most important players for the first quarter of the season could aid the rest of the division in closing the insurmountable gap.