Marshall alumni don't often make NFL headlines for off-field reasons, but Huntington's own Nazeeh Johnson is front and center this week — and not for anything that happened between the lines.
The Tennessee Titans cornerback has been hit with a six-game suspension for violating the NFL's performance-enhancing drug policy, a punishment that will sideline him for nearly half of the first quarter of the 2026 regular season. Johnson, however, isn't staying quiet about it.
The Fertility Medication Defense
According to Johnson, the banned substance that triggered the suspension entered his system through fertility medication he was taking as he and his wife attempted to conceive. In statements covered by both CBS Sports and Bleacher Report, Johnson was emphatic: the positive test had nothing to do with football or any attempt to gain a competitive edge on the field.
It's a defense that carries genuine human weight. Fertility treatments can involve a range of hormonal and pharmaceutical compounds, and the NFL's anti-doping program — rigorous by design — doesn't make exceptions for intent, only for outcomes. Johnson's case is a stark reminder that the league's zero-tolerance framework can ensnare players in deeply personal circumstances well outside the sport itself.
The NFL has not publicly indicated any flexibility in the ruling, and the six-game ban stands.
The Timing Stings
The suspension lands at a particularly rough moment for Johnson's tenure in Tennessee. Per Yahoo Sports, the Titans signed Johnson specifically to add depth to their secondary heading into training camp — a move that made sense on paper and now carries immediate complications. Rather than competing for snaps and establishing himself in a new system, Johnson will be watching the first six weeks of the regular season from the sideline.
For a depth cornerback trying to carve out roster security, missing that stretch isn't just an inconvenience — it's a significant professional setback. The Titans will need to fill that depth without him through the early portion of the schedule, and Johnson will have ground to make up when he returns.
Marshall's NFL Footprint
Johnson's situation is the most prominent Marshall story in the NFL this week, but the Thundering Herd's alumni contingent remains notably spread across the league. From Rasheen Ali with the Ravens to Mike Green at linebacker in Baltimore, and Owen Porter with the Vikings, Marshall continues to punch above its mid-major weight in terms of NFL representation. None of those players generated significant news during this period, keeping the spotlight squarely on Johnson.
The Marshall faithful will be watching closely when Johnson is eligible to return. His situation has drawn sympathy from observers around the league, and how the Titans manage his reintegration — and whether he can hold his roster spot during the suspension — will be the defining Marshall NFL storyline of the early 2026 season.
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