Jaguars AFC South Rival Dealt Massive Blow with Suspension

The Jacksonville Jaguars' AFC South rival, the Houston Texans, will be without a key defensive lineman in Mario Edwards Jr. for the next four games.

Sep 8, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Houston Texans defensive end Mario Edwards Jr. (97) celebrates a sack during the second quarter against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images / Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

The Houston Texans have a formidable pass rush, and it pestered quarterback Trevor Lawrence for the entirety of the Jacksonville Jaguars' loss to their AFC South rival.

It just got weaker, though.

Recently, star defensive end Mario Edwards Jr. was suspended for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy. Per CBS Sports' Cody Benjamin, Edwards will be suspended for four games.

"Mario Edwards was part of a critical play in the Houston Texans' Sunday rout of the New England Patriots, recovering a fumble to help spoil the anticipated debut of rookie quarterback Drake Maye. The veteran defensive end won't be available to make any such plays for at least a month," Benjamin wrote.

The former 2025 second-round pick stepped up as a start this season for head coach DeMeco Ryans, filling the role of suspended teammate Denico Autry -- who was out for six games after he supposedly violated the substance abuse policy.

"With Denico coming off the suspension, he’ll fit right in very smoothly," Ryans said Monday, per KPRC 2 Houston. “He understands how we play, our style to play, Denico has been a productive pass rusher in his league for a long time, he had over 10 sacks last year. S I’m expecting him to just pick up where he left off and come in being disruptive, playing the way he plays. He plays hard, he plays relentless, and he fits right in with our group."

Autry had denied the use of violating any rules in a statement he released:

"Over the course of my ten-year NFL career, I have never engaged in the use of performance enhancing drugs. 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. I immediately investigated the matter and discovered that a pharmacy to which my doctors submitted a prescription for a different medication, had, whether intentionally, recklessly, or negligently, included a banned substance. I want to be clear, at no time did I know or even suspect that this medication contained a banned substance. Upon discovering the source of the positive test, I immediately retained legal counsel in connection with this matter. My counsel provided the NFL with information, including documentation from my doctors, establishing that I neither asked for nor was prescribed any banned substances."

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