Typically, the names of players who receive only fines for violations of the NFL’s substance-abuse policy are never revealed, due to the confidentiality of the process. Once a player is suspended, however, word of the move inevitably surfaces.
With 10 players facing fines for violating the recreational drug policy and another one facing a fine and a suspension after testing unexpectedly began following the lockout without a grace period, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that two of the players who tested positive are Redskins tight end Fred Davis and Redskins tackle Trent Williams.
FOX’s Jay Glazer separately reported that three Redskins tested positive, without naming names.
Fully cognizant of the fact that it’s bad form to speculate about a reporter’s sources, these reports make me wonder whether and to what extent someone from the Redskins has blabbed. Under ordinary circumstances, that wouldn’t matter. But with the league’s drug-testing policies carrying a fine of up to $500,000 for violations of the confidentiality provision, the possibility that the info came from the Redskins could cause someone to land in a pot of bubbling water.