NFL threatening to punish players from Al Jazeera PED report
The NFL says it will suspend four players who will not agree to interviews for an investigation stemming from a December report about doping.
Late last year, Al Jazeera released a documentary accusing numerous athletes of using performance-enhancing drugs. The NFL is seeking interviews with Steelers linebacker James Harrison, Packers defenders Clay Matthews and Julius Peppers and free-agent linebacker Mike Neal, all of whom were named in the report.
Also named in the report was Peyton Manning, who has since been cleared by the NFL. MLB stars Ryan Zimmerman and Ryan Howard have sued Al Jazeera for libel for their inclusion in the documentary.
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The league, in a letter to the players, has threatened to suspend Harrison, Matthews, Peppers and Neal under the “conduct detrimental to the game” clause unless they agree to interviews by Aug. 25.
Earlier this summer, the four players sent sworn affidavits to the league denying the claims of the report.
