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Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray, the former A’s top pick and the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft, is chased by the Chargers’ Chris Peace on Thursday night. Murray completed 6 of 7 attempts for 44 yards in his preseason debut. For more NFL news, see
Dallas Cowboys defensive end Robert Quinn has been suspended for the first two games of the regular season for violating the NFL’s ban on performance enhancers.
Quinn was acquired in a trade with Miami in the offseason. The league said Thursday the ninthyear player is eligible to practice and play in preseason games, but he is out until the regular season after breaking his left hand in practice at training camp.
The 29-year-old Quinn will be eligible to return in Week 3 at home against the Dolphins.
Quinn’s agent, Sean Kiernan, said in a statement released on Twitter he was “extremely disappointed” in the NFL’s decision to suspend Quinn.
Kiernan said Quinn takes medication to control seizures. The agent said it is believed Quinn’s medication was contaminated with probenecid when a prescription was filled at a pharmacy. Probenecid was used as a masking agent for steroids in the 1980s and ‘90s, Kiernan said, but is used now as a prescription drug to treat gout. Kiernan said records showed that a prescription for probenecid was filled before Quinn’s prescription at the pharmacy he uses.
“I am extremely disappointed in the NFL for following through with this suspension,” Kiernan said. “In life there are real world instances where a totality of the circumstances must be analyzed. This is one such case.”
Kiernan said Quinn’s legal team wasn’t able to prove with certainty at the arbitration hearing that his medication was contaminated, but the agent strongly denied that Quinn was masking steroid use.
“He does not take supplements and took nothing else during this period that would create a positive test for probenecid,” Kiernan said. “In fact, he had no idea what probenecid was or what it was used for.”
The NFL’s policy on performance enhancers calls for a two-game ban for using masking agents.
It’s the sixth straight year the Cowboys will start the season with a defensive player suspended. The suspensions have involved nine different players.
“I don’t want to comment too much on that,” Garrett said. “There’s specific circumstances involved with each guy that are different from the others. Obviously it’s not something we want for our football team.”
Garrett said Quinn would rejoin the team Sunday at camp in Oxnard after a preseason game in San Francisco. He returned to Dallas for surgery after breaking his hand Tuesday.
GIANTS HAVE A QB CONTROVERSY ALREADY? » Daniel Jones threw a touchdown pass in his only series in the New York Giants’ 31-22 win over the Jets and opened speculation on how long he will have to wait to replace Eli Manning.
The preseason opener for both teams was suspended for 59 minutes late in the first quarter when lightning and heavy rain rolled into the MetLife Stadium area. By that time, Jones had Giants fans on their feet.
Taking over after Manning had a three-and- out series, the sixth pick overall in the draft hit all five of his passes, the final one a perfect 12-yard throw to Bennie Fowler III in the right corner of the end zone.
Sam Darnold and the Jets had looked just as good on their opening series for new coach Adam Gase, going 75 yards in seven plays. MYERS SHINES FOR PATRIOTS » Jakobi Meyers caught two touchdown passes in an impressive preseason debut, and the New England Patriots drubbed the Detroit Lions 31-3 on Thursday night.
Tom Brady and Matthew Stafford didn’t play, and plenty of other key players were also spectators. Myers stood out for New England. The undrafted rookie caught scoring passes from Brian Hoyer and Jarrett Stidham in the second quarter. He finished with six catches for 69 yards.
Super Bowl MVP Julian Edelman (thumb) has been sidelined for the Patriots, and Phillip Dorsett is the only other returning receiver. Meyers seems to be taking advantage of his opportunity.
Lions receiver Jermaine Kearse was carted off injured early in the first quarter, and that was the start of a dismal night for Detroit. The Lions didn’t cross midfield until the latter half of the fourth quarter, when they finally drove for a field goal. The Patriots sacked Detroit quarterbacks nine times. BROWNS TRADE RB JOHNSON TO TEXANS » Duke Johnson got his wish, and the Browns got more than expected for him.
Cleveland traded the disgruntled running back to the Houston Texans on Thursday for an undisclosed 2020 draft pick. A person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press that the Browns are getting a fourth-round pick that can become a third-rounder.
One of the NFL’s most versatile backs over the past four seasons, Johnson had grown unhappy with his role and asked to be traded earlier this year after the Browns signed suspended free agent running back Kareem Hunt, who will sit out the season’s first eight games.. EAGLES BACKUP QB INJURED » The Philadelphia Eagles rested Carson Wentz only to lose his backup in a 27-10 loss to the Tennessee Titans.
Nate Sudfeld left the sideline on a cart after injuring his left arm on a late hit in the second quarter. Sudfeld fell backward after a personal foul by Isaiah Mack and immediately went to the sideline. He was wearing an air cast on the cart ride to the locker room. There was no immediate word on the extent of his injury.
Sudfeld threw a 75-yard touchdown pass and finished 10 of 18 for 177 yards. He’s replacing Nick Foles, the 2018 Super Bowl MVP.