CFL suspends Edmonton Elk Darien Newell for nine games for second doping violation

The Canadian Football League (CFL) has imposed a nine-game suspension on defensive lineman Darien Newell of the Edmonton Elks due to a second positive doping test. The ban follows positive results for banned substances cardarine and drostanolone, an anabolic-androgenic steroid, which were detected in May. Newell initially appealed the result, but his case was dismissed by an independent arbitrator on Wednesday, leading to the nine-game suspension.

Newell expressed disappointment, stating that the CFL's drug policy was violated. Edmonton's vice-president of football operations/GM, Ed Hervey, supported the league's policy and expressed respect for the process. Newell had previously received a one-game suspension after testing positive for nine banned substances at the 2025 CFL combine, which prevented him from signing a CFL contract for a year following his selection in the second round of the 2025 draft.

The second positive test under the league's Doping Control Program resulted in the nine-game ban. Newell, who had played collegiately at Queen's University with 37 games and 92 total tackles, including 18 sacks and a forced fumble, signed with the Elks on May 4 after serving his initial ban. Players who commit a first offense face a two-game suspension, while a second violation leads to a nine-game ban. A third positive test results in a one-year suspension, with a lifetime ban for a fourth violation.