Kellen Winslow is back with the Jets after a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs, and he says he has an idea about what caused his positive test.
According to the Associated Press, Winslow told reporters today that he’s still not sure exactly why he was flagged for a positive test, but he thinks it was possibly for allergy medication he took. Winslow says he does not use “illegal stuff.”
The NFL has strict rules preventing league or team personnel from disclosing information about players’ drug test results, which means players can say anything about what they tested positive for and there’s no way to verify whether what they’re saying is true or not. We don’t know the specific substance Winslow tested positive for, and we may never know.
Some players have successfully appealed PED suspensions on the grounds that the banned substance they tested positive for was included in medication they used under a doctor’s supervision. Winslow said he agreed to serve the suspension as soon as he tested positive, instead of appealing, because he wanted to be with the Jets over the second half of the season, as they fight for a playoff spot.
Winslow was playing well for the Jets and had a team-high 17 catches before his suspension.