97 Nathan Shepherd DE

The Jets activated Shepherd on Friday after the conclusion of his six-game suspension, Ethan Greenberg of the team's official site reports.

Shepherd is eligible to retake the field as early as Sunday's divisional tilt against the Dolphins. With Leonard Williams having been dealt to the Giants on Monday, Shepherd could conceivably play an immediate role along the Jets' defensive line.

Shepherd has been suspended for the next six games for violating the NFL policy on performance-enhancing substances.

Shepherd's suspension will begin immediately. The 25-year-old will be eligible to return to the active roster Oct. 28 and he'll be able to play Week 9.

Shepherd is facing a six-game suspension for two separate violations of the NFL's performance-enhancing drug policy, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Shepherd admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs to help recover from injuries over the offseason. While recovering from a shoulder injury, the 25-year-old underwent an MRI on his groin that revealed the need for a sports hernia procedure. After the procedure, Shepherd had a hunched posture for several weeks that eventually led to a herniated disc in his back. Pelissero reported that the league could've suspended Shepherd 14 games -- four for the first violation occurring June 27 and 10 games for the second offense July 25 -- but decided to roll the two charges into a singular six-game suspension.