New Giants DE Josh Mauro Suspended Four Games For PED Violation

The New York Giants announced Friday that newly signed DE Josh Mauro has been suspended without pay for the first four games of the 2018 regular season for violating the NFL policy on performance-enhancing substances.

Mauro is eligible to participate in all offseason and preseason practices and games.

Here’s a statement from Mauro:

“While I take full responsibility for this suspension, I want to clarify that my test showed traces of a banned stimulant from a preworkout supplement bought over the counter. While I didn’t and would never intentionally put anything in my body that was a banned substance, I wholeheartedly honor and respect the NFL’s drug testing policy and I take full accountability. I want to thank the entire Giants organization for believing in me and giving me an opportunity to compete and help bring another championship to such a storied franchise. I look forward to overcoming this adversity I’ve ultimately brought upon myself and will do everything I can to contribute to this team winning football games.”

Jordan Raanan reports that the Giants were made aware that this suspension was coming for Mauro before they signed him to a one-year contract.

Mauro, 27, originally signed on with the Steelers as an undrafted free agent out of Stanford back in 2014. He was later waived and re-signed to their practice squad at the start of the regular season.

The Cardinals eventually signed Mauro off of the Steelers’ practice squad and elected to bring him back on an exclusive rights contract before signing him to a two-year, $5.8 million contract last year.

Unfortunately, the Cardinals elected to cut him loose last week and was testing the open market as an unrestricted free agent when he agreed to a contract with the Giants.

In 2017, Mauro appeared in 13 games for the Cardinals and recorded 22 tackles, one sack and a pass defense.