Arizona Cardinals linebacker Markus Bailey has been suspended six games for violating the league's performance-enhancing drug policy. The loss of Bailey won't mean much for this Cardinals roster given Bailey has only played in one game in 2024. Bailey spent four seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals before joining the Cardinals this offseason. Bailey will be eligible to return at the end of the regular season, but he was a non-factor on this defense anyway.
The Cincinnati Bengals opened up the seventh round of the NFL Draft by drafting Purdue's Markus Bailey, their third linebacker drafted this year. Cincinnati needed to upgrade the linebacker position and have clearly done that with Bailey still available in Round 7. He is a physical player good at taking on and shedding blocks. He would have been drafted earlier if not for knee issues that limited him to two games last season. As a five-year player in college, he is an older prospect but is someone who could see the field sooner than most players drafted in this range.