Jeffery apologizes for taking banned supplement that led to suspension

Posted by Zac Jackson on November 14, 2016, 6:09 PM EST
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Bears wide receiver Alshon Jeffery said in a statement released early Monday evening that he unknowingly took a supplement containing an ingredient that’s banned by the NFL and apologized to the Bears organization and fans for his four-game suspension.

“I take full responsibility and am deeply upset with myself for not doing the proper research on this supplement,” the statement said. “I will work hard to earn back the respect and trust of Bears nation and look forward to being back on the field.”

The suspension, announced Monday, is effective immediately. Jeffery will be eligible to return and play in the team’s final three games this season.

Jeffery said he took a supplement to combat inflammation, and the banned ingredient led to his suspension.

Jeffery is playing this season on the franchise tag and is eligible for free agency in the spring. He has 40 catches for 630 yards and a touchdown on the season.

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26 responses to “Jeffery apologizes for taking banned supplement that led to suspension”

  2. More bull from a player after he got caught. He can keep his phony apology.
    And that excuse that he didn’t realize what he was taking is a bunch of crap, too. All these morons have to do is call their team or the NFL front office to find out what they can and can’t take.

  4. I’m not saying he’s not stretching the truth here, but with all the choices around supplements, the confusion around what you can and can not take and the desire to heal quickly, it’s not surprising that players get busted like this and in some cases players consume without knowing. But in the end they are still responsible for it.

  6. That is some expensive anti-inflammatory! On the franchise tag about $3 mn plus whatever the market whacks him for when he is a free agent.

  7. Always love the excuses…..they usually pertain to something along the lines of….’due to my ongoing condition with hives, my doctor directed me to take medication to get it in check, unfortunately, there was an ingredient in it listed on the NFL banned substances’ lol

  11. You would like to think that an athlete who is thinking about taking a ‘supplement” might get the idea he should check it out first.

    But that would be so – simple.

  12. How many of these guys will get suspended for a banned supplement before they get a clue. It’s YOUR JOB. Why in the world would you take something that is going to cost you MILLIONS without checking it out first. That’s just plain moronic. This one act of stupidity is going to cost him a TON of money. Unbelievable. I make sure I pay my bills on time so I don’t get a late fee. You’d think these guys would make sure what they are taking is legal. I guess that would require some common sense.

  14. I don’t believe any of theses guys…I think they are all taking HGH or something similar and used the inflammation excuse so we will forgive quicker.

  15. nyneal says:
    Nov 14, 2016 6:15 PM
    More bull from a player after he got caught. He can keep his phony apology.
    And that excuse that he didn’t realize what he was taking is a bunch of crap, too. All these morons have to do is call their team or the NFL front office to find out what they can and can’t take.

    —–

    The only thing I’d say is that supplements are not really regulated and can (and have been found to) totally not have what’s on the ingredients list. I, while finding it (very) doubtful, could see this conceivably happen.

  16. If it helps them heel faster what’s the big deal. I can’t believe the narrow minded comments. I could see a fine for finding something illegal intheir test but something that is sold over the counter or is legal? This whole draconian NFL view on supplements needs to end

  18. $3.5 million—-pretty expensive pills…….not mention your reputation. Coupled with you injuries you should be less expensive next year.

  19. I wonder if the Bears can suspend you for the rest of the season, the final three games for “actions detrimental to the team”. That would be a fitting end of your 2016 season.

  20. Still can’t believe Alshon Jeffery was voted a captain even after he stayed away from OTAs. When you look at the fact that he and Cutler are offensive captains and Kyle Long is not, is it really a surprise the Bears offense has underperformed worse than any other team in the league this year?

  22. Every athlete who gets busted for PED, regardless of sport, has the same thing in common.

    They all did it “unknowingly.”

  23. If only you would tell us the supplement and what the substance you were caught for was.

    If you are unwilling to say the substance, that means you are aware that a lie will result in a public rebutle of that lie by the NFL and that the truth does not indicate a simple supplement.

    These supplement excuses only make sense with full disclosure of supplement and banned substance it contained.

  24. When the story broke, it was reported as “Performance Enhancing Device” and all I could think was “He must have bought Onterrio Smith’s Whizzenator at Bud Grant’s garage sale”.

  26. That one of your key players, and probably your most talented player–using franchise tag status, probable demand among other teams as indicators–is offline due to this, and so many non contact injuries is a bad sign of organizational health.

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