NEW YORK – Injured New York Giants running back Nikita Whitlock was issued a 10-game suspension without pay Thursday by the NFL for violating the league’s performance-enhancing substance policy.
The 25-year-old Texan is on the Giants’ injured reserve list after suffering a severe right foot injury on August 27 in a pre-season game against the New York Jets.
Whitlock, who had been used as a linebacker and defensive tackle, proved versatile last year in his rookie NFL campaign, being involved in 276 special teams plays, 132 offensive plays and 61 defensive plays for the Giants, his five tackles including a quarterback sack.
In 2014, Whitlock was released by Cincinnati and spent much of the season on the Dallas practice squad before being released in November.
The NFL then suspended Whitlock for four games without announcing a reason for the ban.
Because second violations of the performance-enhancing substances policy bring 10-game bans, the latest punishment shows the prior violation was for doping as well.
No substances involved were revealed as part of the NFL’s policy with the players’ union.
A third career performance-enhancing substances violation brings a ban of at least two seasons, subject to appeal.
