When Adam Schefter of ESPN initially reported that Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson was suspended eight games and then adjusted it the report to six games and added that Peterson had dropped his appeal, the revision created the impression that Peterson had been suspended eight games and that, by dropping his appeal, he received a reduction to six games.
That’s not the case.
As noted earlier, the PED policy doesn’t provide for an eight-game suspension. The potential penalties, other than a suspension for a season or longer, are two games, four games, six games, and 10 games.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that the six-game suspension came from a positive test for both a banned substance and a masking agent. This means that Peterson used a PED, tried to cover it up with a masking agent, the masking agent didn’t work, and the masking agent itself was detected.
Although the NFL points to periodic PED suspensions as proof that the testing policy is a success, it’s hard not to wonder how many players are using masking agents that work. When it comes to doping, the cheaters typically stay a step ahead of those who are trying to catch cheating. For every Peterson, it’s fair to wonder how many others are using PEDs and successfully hiding it.