For a while, it seemed Brock Rechsteiner’s future had already been written. As the son of former WWE wrestler Scott Steiner, he appeared destined to shine in wrestling. When he joined WWE’s NIL program last year, the script seemed complete. But life has a habit of rewriting even the surest of stories. Instead of stepping into the ring, Rechsteiner found himself drawn to the gridiron.

Though he went undrafted in May, the New Orleans Saints saw a spark in the 23-year-old and signed him. From there, his first goal would have been to work his way up and compete for a spot on the 53-man roster. But just as his journey was beginning to gather momentum, it ran into an unexpected obstacle.

As per NFL insider Ari Meirov: “#Saints WR Brock Rechsteiner, the son of WWE Hall Of Famer Scott Steiner, has been suspended 6 games by the NFL.”

Initially, the reason behind this decision was not revealed, but the team came clear later.

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They announced that the suspension stemmed from violating the NFL-NFLPA performance-enhancing substances policy. But the issue doesn’t stop here.

The six-game suspension is a notable aspect. The standard suspension for PED violations starts at four games under NFL policy. It jumps to six when there is evidence of attempted test manipulation. So, reports speculate there were attempts at manipulation, though no details have been shared.

All that said, Rechsteiner can still practice through camp and play in every preseason game. The suspension only kicks in when rosters get cut to 53 players on August 30. But for a guy already fighting for a roster spot, that is about the worst timing imaginable.

Rechsteiner was signed on May 12 after a strong showing at rookie minicamp. He flew under the radar before the draft, with The Athletic‘s Dane Brugler ranking him 159th among this year’s wide receiver prospects. But Saints beat reporter Nick Underhill had singled Rechsteiner out as one of the standout performers in the team’s offseason program, and he had been working through each of the first seven training camp practices before this hit.

He posted 629 receiving yards in a three-year career at Jacksonville State from 2023-25. His career highlight came in 2024, when he scored a touchdown and then caught an 85-yard touchdown pass against Southern Miss. ESPN cameras caught his dad, Scott Steiner, going absolutely wild on the sideline watching it all go down. And that spread fast on social media.

Scott Steiner was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2022 after a legendary wrestling career. His brother Rick Steiner was Scott’s tag-team partner, and they were better known as the iconic Steiner Brothers.

Plus, Brock’s cousin Bronson Rechsteiner now wrestles as Bron Breakker in WWE.

Scott Steiner spoke about his son’s path back in 2024 and made clear where he saw things heading.

“He’ll be a Steiner, so that helps out, ” he told ESPN in 2024. “But he’s a good athlete, so the sky’s the limit for him. I’ll help him out any way I can. I’m happy for him, watching him fulfill his athletic dreams. So once football is over, he’ll do it with wrestling.”

Brock Rechsteiner has the huge advantage of his famous family name and genetic freak athleticism, but it takes decades of intense hard work to make the transition from football to wrestling.

Why football always came first for Brock Rechsteiner despite his wrestling lineage

Wrestling has always been part of Rechsteiner’s plan, just not his present one. Football came first, and that was never up for debate. In early 2025, he signed a WWE NIL deal that gave him access to training at the WWE Performance Center while he was still playing college ball at Jacksonville State, a deal that came together through conversations between his father and WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H.

Bron Breakker has been the one nudging him toward that future when the time comes.

“I work out with him all the time back home. I go fishing with him a lot,” Rechsteiner said of Breakker. “And he really convinced me to, once I’m done playing football, get into the wrestling business.”

That future can wait. Right now, Rechsteiner has a six-game suspension hanging over a roster spot that was never guaranteed to begin with. How the Saints handle his situation between now and August 30 will tell you everything about whether he makes the 53-man roster.