Raiders cornerback Nevin Lawson announced on social media that he tested positive for a performance enhancing drug and will miss the first four games.
The NFL suspended Lawson, who said he unknowingly took ostarine.
According to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), “ostarine is not approved for human use or consumption in the U.S., or in any other country, [and] there are no legal medications that contain ostarine.” USADA lists 72 products on the high-risk list that contain ostarine, and 19 products contain ostarine but do not declare it on the label.
Lawson posted his statement Monday night:
“I love my teammates, cherish the privilege of playing professional football for the Oakland Raiders organization and look forward to starting my sixth NFL season with passion and hunger. That is why it is so difficult for me to stomach what I recently learned, which will lead to me being suspended for the first four games of the 2019 NFL season.
“Despite being very cautious about what I put into my body, I discovered that a test determined that I ingested something that is on the NFL’s banned substance list. Specifically, that substance is Ostarine, which I have never knowingly taken.
“Unfortunately, it does not matter, as I am responsible for knowing every single ingredient that goes into my body, and I apparently failed in this regard. This disappointing and temporary setback says nothing about my constant drive and daily commitment to be a better player and human being, a priority of mine which will continue for the rest of my life.
“I want to apologize to my family, my teammates, my fans and the entire Raiders organization that trusted I would be on the field Week One and for the entire 2019 NFL season. I can only promise to give my all when I am permitted to return to the field and will take even extra care in ensuring that no impermissible substances are consumed in the future.”
Lawson, who signed a one-year deal worth up to $3.05 million in the offseason, has 54 career starts. The Raiders’ depth chart has him on the third team, though the team might have listed Lawson there knowing he would miss four games.
Gareon Conley and Daryl Worley are expected to start, with Lamarcus Joyner covering the slot. Trayvon Mullen and Nick Nelson are the top backups.