Giants OLB Ryan Anderson Suspended Six Games for Performance Enhancing Substance Violation

Giants outside linebacker Ryan Anderson has been suspended six games by the NFL for violating the league's policy on Performance Enhancement Substances.

Anderson, who was a longshot to make the Giants roster anyway, was signed in the off-season to a one-year, $1.12 million contract with the Giants in March as an unrestricted free agent. Anderson spent the first four years of his career with the Washington Football Team, who picked him in the second round of the 2017 draft out of Alabama.

The 6’2”, 255-pounder has appeared in 52 career games (just four starts) and has recorded just six sacks among his 55 total tackles, hardly the kind of impact one might expect from a top-100 pick and a second-rounder. He has had some injury issues, most recently a knee injury that limited him to nine games last year.

Statement from #Giants LB Ryan Anderson’s agent, Chad Wiestling: pic.twitter.com/tgPAf1xwaP
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) August 28, 2021

Anderson became the odd man out between his struggles to stay healthy and the depth ahead of him on that Washington front seven.

Anderson, who began training camp on the non-football injury list, was already cut once this summer as a "procedural move" by the Giants to lower his salary, a move made after he was able to pass his physical.

He initially signed a one-year veteran minimum deal that leaves $137,500 in dead money against the team's cap, but his new contract would count for $850,000 against the Giants 2021 cap, less the six weeks deducted for the suspension if he made the roster.

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