OXNARD, Calif. -- Dallas Cowboys defensive end Robert Quinn did not agree with denial of his appeal of a two-game suspension for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing drugs, but he is not worried about the stigma attached to the penalty.
"I mean the data kind of proves itself, and at this point it ain't going to change nothing," Quinn said. "What's going to happen is going to happen and just got to look forward to what I can do."
Quinn's agent, Sean Kiernan, released a lengthy statement when the suspension was announced on Aug. 8, defending his client. Kiernan said Quinn's preventative anti-seizure medication was contaminated with a substance that has been classified as a masking agent.
Quinn made his case to an independent arbitrator selected by the NFL and NFL Players Association. Under league rules, because of the PED violation, Quinn is not eligible to play in the Pro Bowl.
"As my agent said, it should have recorded as a false positive, and I'm just going to leave it at that," Quinn said.
The suspension came a day after he had surgery to repair a fractured left hand during one-on-one drills in practice. Quinn returned to the team over the weekend and his hand is still bandaged. At first he thought he just jammed his hand before getting examined on the field.
The Cowboys said they expected him to be ready for the regular-season opener before the suspension was announced. The first game he can play will be Sept. 22 against the Miami Dolphins.
"It shouldn't be that long [before he starts on-field work]," Quinn said. "It's just still kind of early, so I think they're being a little protective, but it shouldn't be too long."
As for dealing with the injury and the suspension in such a short period of time, Quinn said, "This is just life. This is nothing. I've been through a lot worse and a messed up hand and a couple of games, that's just life. You deal with adversity, and either it makes you weaker or stronger. That's just how a person always deals with it."