Jacksonville Jaguars LT Cam Robinson has been suspended 4 games by the NFL for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drugs policy.
The 27 year old will remain eligible for the preseason and training camp, and can be reinstated on October 2nd. As a result of his suspension, Robinson will forfeit $3.55M in salary.
“As a veteran leader in the locker room, I always want to set a good example and my actions in this instance are not a reflection of that goal,” Robinson said in a team issued statement. “I apologize to the fans, my coaches and, most importantly, my teammates. It hurts me that I cannot be out there with my brothers at the start of the regular season. I will attack training camp the same way I have for the last six seasons, to make sure I am ready both mentally and physically.”
With Robinson sidelined, the club will likely turn to Walker Little at LT to begin the season. This also means that rookie 1st rounder Anton Harrison is likely to see starting reps at RT to kick off 2023.
Since being selected in the 2nd round of the 2017 NFL Draft, the former Alabama lineman has started 75 games for the Jaguars. Robinson did however miss time down the stretch last season after suffering an injury vs. Dallas in December. His knee ultimately wouldn’t heal in time for the playoffs, and he was forced to sit out Jacksonville’s postseason run as well.
The Jaguars released the following statement after news broke regarding Robinson’s suspension: “We are aware of the four-game suspension incurred today by OL Cam Robinson. While we certainly respect the NFL’s ruling and are disappointed with this development, we will support Cam as he works his way through the suspension. We are confident that Cam and our team will rise above this challenge as we collectively move forward.”
Expectations are high in Duval these days, as the team went 9-8 in 2022 and ended the season with 5 consecutive victories to win the AFC South divisional title. A wild postseason victory over the Los Angeles Chargers proved that their second half turnaround was no fluke.
With a full offseason for Trevor Lawrence to get acclimated to Doug Pederson’s offense, and the addition of former Falcons star receiver Calvin Ridley, there’s no reason to think that a similar performance isn’t in the cards this fall. Only now, the club will have to weather the early season storm without their starting left tackle.
-Kyle Skinner
Twitter: @JKyleSkinner
Photo: All-Pro Reels. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.