Nick Boyle, Tony Jefferson exchange friendly steroid barbs
Former Baltimore Ravens teammates Nick Boyle and Tony Jefferson had a comical exchange on social media over a story that surfaced this week about a steroid that could potentially combat the coronavirus.
After Alicia Smith, a political columnist, tweeted "Major study finds steroid reduces deaths in patients with severe Covid-19," Jefferson tagged Boyle with a response: "You should be good then if you catch it bro @nickboyle86."
Boyle responded by highlighting that Jefferson is still looking to latch on with a new team after being released by the Ravens:
"Never took steroids... but maybe they will help you since you can’t stay on a team and are currently unemployed ..." Boyle wrote.
The exchange garnered more than 50 responses and it was difficult to determine if the players were simply joking with one another. Jefferson confirmed via a text message the two were just exchanging some friendly banter.
"Lol yeah bro. That's every day with me and him," Jefferson wrote.
Boyle, a fifth-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, has been suspended twice by the NFL for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing substances.
“If he continues to double down on dumb, then he’s going to be out," coach John Harbaugh said after the second suspension.
Boyle bounced back and the Ravens inked the versatile tight end to a three-year contract extension worth $18 million, with $10 million in guarantees in March 2019.
He proceeded to have another solid season, finishing with career highs in receiving yards (321), catches (31) and receiving touchdowns (2). Boyle is one of the best blocking tight ends in the NFL and he fits perfectly into the Ravens offense.
The Ravens terminated the contract of Jefferson in February. He suffered a season-ending knee injury Week 5 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, which opened the door for Chuck Clark to take over the starting job. Clark excelled alongside Earl Thomas and was rewarded with a three-year, $16 million contract extension earlier in the week.
In three seasons as a Raven beginning in 2017, Jefferson had 174 tackles (120 solo), two interceptions, 3.5 sacks, 11 passes defended, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery in 35 games (all starts).
Jefferson remains one of the top available free agents on the market.
