The Colts will not have practice squad defensive end Al-Quadin Muhammad available for the remainder of the regular season after the veteran defender received a six-game suspension for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

The suspension will be without pay for Muhammad, according to Mike Chappell of FOX59/CBS4 Sports, and, with only five games remaining in the regular season, his absence will either bleed over into the team’s first playoff game or the first game of the 2024 NFL season if the team misses the postseason and Muhammad finds himself under contract next year.

This is the second time a Colts defensive lineman has been subject to a six-game PED suspension after defensive tackle Grover Stewart served the same punishment back in October. Stewart claimed at the time that he had unknowingly taken the banned substance but took responsibility for the mistake, nonetheless.

Muhammad is a seven-year veteran dating back to his rookie days in New Orleans. He was waived after his first year with the Saints and signed the next day by the Colts. In Indianapolis, Muhammad first found his role in the NFL. Over his four years with the team, Muhammad started 25 games, including every contest of the 2021 season. During that campaign two years ago, Muhammad set career-highs in sacks (6.0), total tackles (48), and quarterback hits (13).

Following his full year as a starter, Muhammad signed a two-year, $8MM contract with the Bears. After starting the first nine games of his tenure in Chicago, Muhammad took a backseat to then-rookie fifth-round pick Dominique Robinson. Despite losing the starting job, Muhammad still played a large role in the rotation, often playing more defensive snaps than Robinson. After the season ended, the Bears made the cost-cutting move to release Muhammad and free up a bit more cap space. Since then, Muhammad has returned to Indianapolis, signing to the team’s practice squad after failing to make the 53-man roster.

Though he’s never been forced to miss time as a pro, this is not Muhammad’s first suspension. As a sophomore at the University of Miami, Muhammad was given a season-long suspension after his participation in an altercation with his former roommate at the team’s Spring Game. After coming back for an impressive 2014 season that saw him record five sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss, Muhammad received his second suspension for his role in a luxury rental car scandal that violated the NCAA rules at that time in college football history. He was eventually dismissed from the program and, despite having only played in 17 games as a Hurricane, was selected by the Saints in the sixth-round of the NFL Draft.

As a member of the Colts’ practice squad this year, Muhammad has failed to see any in-season game action. Set to turn 29 years old in the offseason, Muhammad is not doing himself any favors in his efforts to return to the field. He’ll miss the first full regular season in his career, and unless he finds himself getting called up as a practice squad elevation in the Colts’ hypothetical second playoff game, he’ll go a calendar year and a half without appearing in an NFL game. Muhammad faces an uphill battle when it comes to continuing his NFL career post-suspension.

Al-Quadin Muhammad‘s reunion with the Colts has proven to be rather brief. The veteran defensive end has been released, as noted by ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Muhammad began his career with the Saints, but his best years came in Indianapolis. Between 2018 and ’21, he played 64 games, logging 25 starts. The 28-year-old took on full-time starting duties in his final season with the team, and his increased playing time resulted in a career-high six sacks and 13 quarterback hits.

The former sixth-rounder parlayed that into a two-year Bears deal on the open market. The deal allowed him to follow former Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus to Chicago with the latter taking over as head coach. Things did not go according to plan for either party this past season, though.

Muhammad recorded only one sack with the Bears as a member of the team’s highly underwhelming edge rush contingent. It thus came as no surprise that he was released ahead of free agency, leaving him on the open market for the second straight offseason. A return to the Colts seemed to give him the opportunity to regain at least a depth role with his former team, but his ability to do that will now need to come via the practice squad if he is retained.

The Colts have former first-rounder Kwity Paye and free agent addition Samson Ebukam set to start on the edge this season, with the likes of Tyquan Lewis and Dayo Odeyingbo in place as key reserves. Muhammad could find himself amongst the latter contingent at some point in the season if he begins the campaign on the taxi squad and is later elevated to the active roster. For the time being, however, his future is uncertain.

JULY 27: The Colts will bring Muhammad back on a league-minimum deal, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson (on Twitter). For a player with six years of service time, that number checks in at $1.1MM. Indianapolis will guarantee the veteran edge defender $500K.

JULY 21: Al-Quadin Muhammad is set to make a return to his most productive NFL home. The veteran defensive end agreed to a one-year deal with the Colts, as noted (on Twitter) by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Agents Drew Rosenhaus and Robert Bailey confirmed the reunion.

Muhammad had been on the open market since February. He was released by the Bears after one season spent under head coach Matt Eberflus in Chicago. The pair had previously spent time together in Indianapolis when Eberflus served as defensive coordinator of the Colts. Muhammad’s final season there saw him record six sacks, leading to expectations he would carry over that production into the Windy City.

However, the 28-year-old registered only one sack with the Bears while playing a signficant role on the team’s underwhelming pass rush group. He, like many other veteran edge rushers, remained unsigned through the summer while evaluating opportunities ahead of training camp. A deal sending him back to Indianapolis could help him regain his previous form while maintaining the team’s pass rush effectiveness.

In a 2022 season in which hardly anything went according to plan, the Colts finished in the top 10 in sacks with 44. Free agent addition Samson Ebukam and 2021 first-rounder Kwity Paye will be leaned on heavily off the edge, but Muhammad should be expected to serve a notable rotational role in his return. His snap shares ranged between 42% and 73% during his four-year Colts stint (2018-2021).

Muhammad’s second tenure in Indianapolis will be his first under defensive coordinator Gus Bradley. The latter’s first year in place of Eberflus drew mixed reviews, but he is in place for a second season in charge of the unit. A rebound from his disappointing Bears stint could help Muhammad’s free agent prospects next year on the open market while giving the Colts’ defensive boost a front.