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Colts offensive lineman Antonio Garcia has been suspended without pay for the first four games of the 2019 regular season after violating the league’s performance-enhancing substance policy.
The former third-round pick selected by the New England Patriots in 2017 spent his rookie season on the non-football injury list, after blood clots in his lungs saw him lose roughly 40 pounds while dealing with the illness. He was then waived by the Patriots last May and claimed by the Jets, but wasn’t able to make the final 53-man roster before the season. Garcia joined Indy’s practice squad in October and re-signed with the Colts this offseason.
According to a league spokesman, Garcia will be allowed to participate in all offseason practices and preseason games. He’ll miss the first four regular-season games, and will be eligible to return to the Colts’ roster on Sept. 30, a day after their Sunday game against the Oakland Raiders.
Garcia is the second Colt to get hit with a suspension this offseason, after quarterback Chad Kelley received a two-game suspension on May 31 for violating the league’s personal conduct policy.
In other news, the Indianapolis Colts announced Monday afternoon that they’ve signed defensive tackle Caraun Reid and placed defensive end Jegs Jegede on the Injured Reserve list.
The 305-pound journeyman makes his second stop to Indianapolis (2017) after playing with the Dallas Cowboys last season. Other pitstops include with the Redskins in 2017, the Lions in 2014-2015 and 2017 and the San Diego Chargers in 2016. Through 44 career games and 13 starts, the former fifth-round pick has accumulated 46 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks. Reid took part in the Colts’ 2018 training camp until he was waived during final cuts.