Two-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons first hinted at some big news on social media, then revealed on Saturday that his Tennessee teammate Arden Key successfully appealed a six-game suspension to start the season.
The Titans’ coach can’t make any comments until they receive official word from the NFL.
Key chose not to discuss the outcome of his appeal after a 16-15 win over Seattle. He directed reporters to speak with teammates who played, as none of the defensive starters played in the game.
“It was in the league’s hands for the appeal process, and there’s nothing I can do or say or we can do as an organization,” Titans coach Brian Callahan said after the game. “It’s in their hands officially. So, you just wait and yeah, you’re hopeful of course. But you wait, and you see what happens.”
Simmons shared the update just hours before the Titans’ preseason game on Saturday night.
“See you guys Sept. 8,” Simmons wrote about one of the Titans’ starting outside linebackers. That’s when Tennessee will start the season at Chicago.
A report on July 30 mentioned that Key was facing a suspension to start the season for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancers. The NFL did not officially announce a suspension, and a league spokesperson declined to comment on Saturday.
Key, who had six sacks last season with Tennessee, is expected to start opposite Harold Landry this season. The NFL announced on July 29 that Houston defensive lineman Denico Autry was suspended for six games for the same reason.
Autry played with Tennessee for the past three seasons.
Key has avoided talking about the reported suspension during training camp. Without the appeal being successful, he wouldn’t have been available to the Titans until a game on October 27 at Detroit.
