Carolina Panthers safety Eric Reid kept talking during the season about how he felt like he was being targeted with random drug testing. After a December 17th loss Reid claimed he was getting tested for the seventh time since joining the team and the NFLPA agreed they would look into it.
In a joint statement from the NFL and the NFL Players Association, they both agreed that they looked over the complaint and found no reason to believe that the PED tests weren't random. Statement Via Pro Football Talk:
“We take any claim questioning the integrity of our collectively bargained performance enhancing drug policy seriously,” the statement said. “We asked the independent administrator of the policy to review and produce a report on the claims of targeting. A copy of this report, which contains personal and confidential testing information, has been provided to Eric Reid. We will not breach any player’s confidentiality, but can confirm that the report documents the dates he was randomly selected for testing and the actual dates of the drug tests. The report also demonstrates that Mr. Reid’s tests were randomly generated via computer algorithm and that his selection for testing was normal when compared with the number of tests players were randomly selected for throughout the league during the time that he was on an active roster. There is no evidence of targeting or any other impropriety with respect to his selection for testing.”
This is a huge win for the NFL that they got the NFLPA to release a statement going against what one of their own players is claiming. It will be interesting to see if this is the end of this story but if Reid really does have issues with his he should release the tests to prove just how often he actually was being tested. Even if he does that chances are it won't change the outcome of this.
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