The hits keep coming to the New York Jets' linebacker corps.
Outside linebacker Brandon Copeland, who started 10 games for Gang Green last year, was suspended for the first four games of the 2019 season for violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing substances.
The suspension comes less than a week after New York also lost starting inside linebacker Avery Williamson to a season-ending torn ACL.
Copeland is free to return to the team on Oct. 7 after New York's Week 4 game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
An undrafted free agent out of Penn, Copeland joined the Detroit Lions in 2015, spending three seasons with the club before joining the Jets in 2018. After his breakout year, when he tallied five sacks and 14 QB hits in 10 starts, Copeland signed another one-year deal with the Jets.
Despite that great season, Copeland was no sure thing to make the roster. He played deep into New York's second preseason game and had been listed as a potential cut candidate by some local outlets.
The Jets will have to replace Copeland with Frankie Luvu, Jachai Polite and whoever they pick up off the waiver wire for the first quarter of the campaign.