Matthews, Peppers To Be Interviewed By NFL For Investigation On First Day of Camp

USA Today reports that the league will be in Green Bay to discuss the allegations raised in the Al-Jazeera America report linking them to performance enhancers and other drugs.

Tom Pellissero has the goods:

Adolpho Birch, the league’s senior vice president of labor policy and league affairs, wrote in a strongly worded letter to NFL counsel Heather McPhee – obtained Friday by USA TODAY Sports – that Green Bay Packers linebackers' Julius Peppers and Clay Matthews and Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison all will be scheduled for interviews the day camps open. The Packers are scheduled to hold their first practice on July 26 and the Steelers on July 29.

Mike Neal, a former Packers linebacker who’s currently a free agent, will be interviewed on or before July 22, the letter said.

The league is investigating the allegations raised in an Al-Jazeera America report linking Peppers and Matthews to performance enhaning drugs.

From Birch's letter: 

On January 11, 2016, the league notified Messrs. Peppers, Neal, Matthews and Harrison that it had initiated an investigation following the airing of the Al-Jazeera America documentary, which raised serious issues concerning their possible violation of the NFL/NFLPA Policy on Performance-Enhancing Substances. The players were further advised that, with their full and timely cooperation, the investigation would be conducted expeditiously and with minimal disruption.

While the investigation has proceeded, we have yet to interview the players.  We have attempted since early April to work through the NFLPA to schedule them, but despite multiple requests the NFLPA has failed to respond, except to seek reconsideration of the basis for the investigation.  This continuing delay and avoidance has obstructed our ability to conduct and conclude the investigation.

In fairness to all, including the players involved, we must move forward with the interviews.  Accordingly, this will advise that the interviews of Messrs. Peppers, Matthews and Harrison will be scheduled for the first day of their respective training camps, and the interview of Mr. Neal (free agent) will take place on or before July 22.  

Should be a fun opening day of camp for Matthews and Peppers. 

 

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Comments (11)

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TarynsEyes's picture

June 24, 2016 at 02:52 pm

The recanting would normally be enough to dismiss these interviews but the NFL can hardly simply shrug this off but the interviews will likely be portrayed as deep but how deep is deep considering the events since the claim.

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Dr.Rodgers's picture

June 24, 2016 at 03:08 pm

This story is going nowhere.

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dobber's picture

June 24, 2016 at 03:46 pm

Given the sheer number of PED suspensions we've seen in recent years, the league needs to take these seriously and treat them as they would any other report. You're right though, the recant...

"Charlie Sly, a man identified as a pharmacist who allegedly spoke to an undercover reporter working for the network, later recanted his story." -- From an ESPN.com report

...means that unless these guys stand up and say: "why, yes, I took PED's for X years! Why do you ask?" I don't see how anything can really happen. If there's no accuser and no reliable evidence, what can the league do? Sure, it can act in the "best interest of The Shield", but disparaging star players without reasonable cause doesn't work in the best interest of The Shield.

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PackerAaron's picture

June 24, 2016 at 04:43 pm

Actually, the league refuses to give the Union what grounds in which they are conducting the interview. You have a report in which the lead guy has come out and said that none of it is true.

So now every time some crackpot says something, players should have to submit to the NFL police?

The PA will cooperate when the league follows the legal employer-employee labor code.

I actually think since the league went public they know they don't have much legal ground to stand on. Each one of these guys could sue the league in state court and force the league to show cause.

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4thand1's picture

June 24, 2016 at 05:40 pm

So deflating.

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jeremyjjbrown's picture

June 24, 2016 at 07:39 pm

I doubt Matthews or Peppers will say much of anything during the interview, it will mostly be thier lawyers saying "um no, next question please".

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marpag1's picture

June 25, 2016 at 03:30 am

IMO, the league is doing this for only one reason: they feel they need to MAKE THE APPEARANCE of taking PED abuse seriously. They may not feel that they have any "legal" case to stand on, but they don't want to allow an opportunity for any of their critics to claim that the NFL just blew it off and didn't care.

The NFL is doing this so that they can plausibly say, "Hey, we looked into it and took it seriously" ... and that's all the NFL really cares about.

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SteveCheez's picture

June 24, 2016 at 05:40 pm

Whose bright idea was it to lend any credence to Al-Jazeera?

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Rossonero's picture

June 24, 2016 at 08:23 pm

For one thing, why is Peyton Manning getting a pass? For another, the guy who lodged the BS accusations recanted it later.

The line between journalism and entertainment continues to get more and more blurry. Al-Jazeera abandoned any sort of journalistic principles by running a story from a questionable source. Don't give credence to people who do not have evidence to support their claims. "Hey guys look! Billy Bob made up some shit, so let's broadcast it all over the world to boost our ratings!!"

Slandering people can lead to a defamation lawsuit (which are tough to win), but if I were Peppers, Matthews or Neal, I would be comfortable of knowing the truth that some nut job's comments will not ruin their career or their reputation.

I'm sure I'm biased, but veterans like Peppers and Matthews are not going to risk a 4 game suspension without pay when a Super Bowl is at stake. These guys are physical freaks and work their asses off in the gym.

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Lphill's picture

June 24, 2016 at 10:37 pm

COW its time to crawl under a rock again, your a total loser, why do you waste your energy here?

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Icebowler's picture

June 25, 2016 at 08:02 pm

Messrs. ??? Has the NFL gone all Frenchie on us?

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