HOUSTON — Houston Texans defensive lineman Denico Autry was suspended for the first six games of the regular season on Monday for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancers.
Autry denied he knowingly ingested a banned substance but said he would accept the suspension. Autry said he discovered the pharmacy that filled a prescription for him had “intentionally, recklessly, or negligently” included a banned substance.
Autry is allowed to participate in preseason practices and games. His first regular-season availability will be Oct. 20 at Green Bay. Autry apologized to the Texans organization, teammates and fans for any distraction his positive test causes.
Autry, 34, has 59 sacks in 10 NFL seasons. He had a career-high 11 1/2 last season for the Tennessee Titans and signed a two-year, $20 million free-agent contract with the Texans in March.
“Over the course of my 10-year NFL career, I have never engaged in the use of performance-enhancing drugs,” Autry said in a statement. “Over that period, I have been subject to countless tests, none of which have ever returned a positive result. I was, therefore, stunned this offseason when I learned that one of my tests returned a positive result.”
Autry said his attorney provided the NFL with documentation from his physicians establishing he neither asked for nor was prescribed any banned substances.
“It was important to me that the NFL know that I did not intentionally or even knowingly ingest a banned substance,” Autry said. “I understand, however, that under the NFL’s policies, ultimate responsibility for what enters my body rests with me. To that end, while I intend to explore legal options pertaining to the circumstances that resulted in my positive test, I have accepted the NFL’s punishment of a six-game suspension.”