Dallas Cowboys: Robert Quinn two-game suspension an early gut punch
The Dallas Cowboys received devastating news about Robert Quinn this week. First, a hand injury. And now, a two-game suspension.
It was believed the Dallas Cowboys traded for defensive end Robert Quinn earlier this year in part as insurance for a suspended Randy Gregory. Now, the Cowboys have been handed the news that the NFL has also suspended Quinn for two games to start the regular season.
On Thursday, the league announced it had levied a two-game ban against Quinn for violating their performance-enhancing drug policy. According to Quinn’s agent, Sean Kieman, Robert tested positive for probenecid (a gout medication), which is sometimes used as a masking agent for steroids. Kieman believes Quinn’s seizure medication was contaminated by his pharmacy resulting in the positive test.
Despite Quinn’s representatives presenting their case for contamination at a hearing with an independent arbitrator, the league still decided to hand down a two-game suspension. And that leaves the Cowboys without one of their premier pass rushers to start the regular season. That news is an early gut-punch for this organization.
The Cowboys traded a sixth rounder in 2020 to the Miami Dolphins in order to acquire the 29-year old’s services. Quinn will now miss the team’s regular season opener against the New York Giants and Dallas’ first road game, at FedExField versus the Washington Redskins.
Quinn did suffer a fracture in his left hand earlier this week, and had surgery to correct it. But he was expected to still make his Cowboys’ debut in Week One. He will now have two extra weeks to recover from the minor injury.
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In the meantime, the attention now turns to the Dallas Cowboys current crop of defensive ends behind Robert Quinn on the depth chart. Players like Taco Charlton, Dorance Armstrong, Kerry Hyder Jr. along with rookies Jalen Jelks and Joe Jackson will be the subject of several preseason headlines as the team is currently without the services of Quinn, Randy Gregory (suspension), DeMarcus Lawrence (shoulder), and Tyrone Crawford (hip).