Mario Edwards will be looking for a new home this spring, but the veteran defensive lineman won’t be able to suit up for the beginning of 2021. Edwards has been suspended for the first two games of next season, a source told Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
It’s for a PED violation. It certainly won’t help Edwards, who’s set to be a free agent, find a decent contract. He played a good amount for the Bears this season, notching around 25% of the defensive snaps in a rotational role in 15 games. He finished the year with 17 tackles, six for a loss, and four sacks to go with one pass defended.
The Florida State product was drafted 35th overall by the Raiders in 2015 but has never lived up to his draft status. He didn’t stand out as a rookie then missed almost the entire 2016 season due to injury. He started 14 games for the Raiders in 2017 but was waived before the 2018 campaign.
After spending one year with the Giants, he signed a two-year, $5 million deal with the Saints in March of 2019, and had three sacks with New Orleans in a similar rotational role. Cut back in September, he was picked up just a few days later by Chicago. Still only 26 (for another week), he should get picked up by another team this offseason despite the looming suspension.
More must-reads: