Suspension - Football Wiretap

Roger Goodell: NFL Sees No Benefits Of Medical Marijuana

Apr 28, 2017 12:19 PM

Roger Goodell said on Friday that the NFL sees no medical benefits to the use of marijuana. 

Goodell's comments came amid a federal lawsuit filed by more than 1,800 former players who say they suffered long-term health problems because of improper and deceptive prescription drug-distribution practices by NFL teams.

"We've been studying that through our advisers," Goodell said. "To date, they haven't said, 'This is a change we think you should make that is in the best interest of the health and safety of our players.' If they do, we're certainly going to consider that. But to date, they haven't really said that.

Goodell did add that "medical marijuana is something that is evolving, and that's something that at some point the medical advisers may come to us and say, 'This is something you should consider.'"

Goodell's comments Friday morning suggest the league has no plans to reconsider the possibility of allowing players to use marijuana.

"I think you still have to look at a lot of aspects of marijuana use," Goodell said. "Is it something that can be negative to the health of our players?

"Listen, you're ingesting smoke, so that's not usually a very positive thing that people would say. It does have addictive nature. There are a lot of compounds in marijuana that may not be healthy for the players long-term. All of those things have to be considered.

"And it's not as simple as someone just wants to feel better after a game. We really want to help our players in that circumstance, but I want to make sure that the negative consequences aren't something that is going to be something that we'll be held accountable for some years down the road."

Kevin Seifert/ESPN

Tags: Legal, Suspension

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Martavis Bryant Conditionally Reinstated By NFL

Apr 25, 2017 4:45 PM

Martavis Bryant has been conditionally reinstated by the NFL.

Bryant had been suspended for the entire 2016 season for multiple violations of the league's policy against substances of abuse.

"Martavis Bryant has followed the protocol and has been conditionally reinstated by the National Football League," steelers general manager Kevin Colbert said in a statement released by the team Tuesday. "We appreciate that he has taken the necessary steps in an effort to get his personal life in order. We also understand this is just the beginning as he works to return to the team and meet all of the conditions of his reinstatement.

"We look forward to working with Martavis to ensure that he is mentally and physically prepared to contribute to our efforts on the field, while also maintaining the proper balance to keep his life in order off the field."

Nick Shook/NFL.com

Tags: Pittsburgh Steelers, Misc Rumor, Suspension

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Trent Murphy Suspended Four Games For PED Violation

Apr 15, 2017 12:57 PM

Trent Murphy has been suspended by the NFL for the first four games of the 2017 season due to a PED violation.

Murphy's looming suspension had been reported last month, but he was appealing the decision. 

Entering his fourth season, Murphy is coming off his best year in 2016, with nine sacks as the Redskins' third outside linebacker behind Ryan Kerrigan and Preston Smith.

John Keim/ESPN

Tags: Washington Football Team, Suspension

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