On April 11, 2010, Holmes was traded to the New York Jets in exchange for a fifth-round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft (the Steelers eventually traded the pick to the Arizona Cardinals in exchange for a sixth round pick, which they used to draft Antonio Brown, and reacquiring Bryant McFadden; the Cardinals used the pick on quarterback John Skelton). Shortly before the trade, the NFL announced that Holmes would be suspended for the first four games of the season due to a violation of the NFL's substance abuse policy.