The Tennessee Titans will officially be without left tackle Taylor Lewan for the first four games of the 2019 season.
Lewan lost his appeal of the four-game ban for violating the NFL policy on performance-enhancing substances, the NFL announced Friday. The left tackle is eligible to participate in all preseason practices and games. He will be allowed to return to the Titans‘ active roster on Monday, Sept. 30, following the team’s Week 4 game at Atlanta.
Lewan announced he was facing the four-game suspension last month in an emotional video. The 28-year-old said at the time he was facing the suspension due to a failed drug test for Ostarine. Lewan said he unknowingly took the substance and added he took a lie detector test.
As with most appeals for PED violations, however, Lewan’s suspension was upheld.
The left tackle had been working with the backups during the preseason as the Titans braced for the bad news. Veteran swing tackle Dennis Kelly will take over Lewan’s spot on the left side for the first four weeks.
While it was the expected outcome, the confirmation is a blow to the Titans offensive line, which opens the season facing pass rusher Myles Garrett and an improved Cleveland Browns defense in Week 1.