Earlier this month, Texans punter Brett Hartmann had a four-game reduced by a game on appeal and now another player appears to have gotten his entire suspension erased.
Giants running back Andre Brown tweeted that his own four-game suspension has been lifted by the league following a hearing. Ebenezer Samuel of the Daily News reports that a source has told him the same thing.
Brown was suspended four games by the league in March for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances. Brown revealed last month that he was suspended for taking Adderall, a prescription medication usually given to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Brown had a prescription for the drug, which he said he’s used since entering the league, but he did not get prior approval before taking it.
Hartmann was suspended for taking Ritalin, which is used to treat the same conditions as Adderall. Hartmann’s reduction and Brown’s exoneration are a major break from policy for the league which has long maintained that there is no wiggle room for players who violated the PED policy. The next step should probably be a revision of how the league deals with prescription medication like Adderall since they shouldn’t be classified alongside anabolic steroids.
Brown’s availability for the first four games should help his chances of making the Giants, but he’s still got a lot of work to do. The Giants have Ahmad Bradshaw, first-round pick David Wilson, Danny Ware and Da’Rel Scott at running back which means there aren’t going to be enough spots for everyone on the final roster.