Saints' David Onyemata: Suspended for start of season

Onyemata revealed Friday that he'll be suspended for part of the 2021 season after testing positive for a banned substance, Katherine Terrell of The Athletic reports.

Onyemata didn't elaborate on the length of his suspension, but recent PED bans (WR Will Fuller, CB Bradley Roby) suggest it could be up to six games. The 28-year-old defensive tackle made 30 starts for New Orleans over the past two seasons, including a 2020 breakout with career highs for tackles (44), QB hits (16) and sacks (6.5). The Saints already had issues with depth at defensive tackle after losing Malcom Brown (to the Jaguars) and Sheldon Rankins (to the Jets) earlier this offseason. The current roster doesn't offer much experience at defensive tackle behind projected starters Onyemata and Shy Tuttle.