Kansas City Chiefs P Tommy Townsend put up a standout performance against the Buffalo Bills in Week 6, and now he’s getting his reward from the NFL.
Buy Chiefs TicketsTownsend, who boomed three punts for 173 yards with a long punt of 60 yards in Sunday’s loss, took to Twitter after the game to reveal that he’d been selected by the league for a random performance-enhancing drug test. It appears that the notice from the NFL was waiting in his locker when the game was over.
Love a random PED test. Classic.
— Tommy Townsend (@tommy_townsend) October 17, 2022
These tests are supposed to be “random” but the timing of this shows you exactly how random they are. It’s easy to see why the NFL decided to test Townsend after a big Week 6 game. Through six weeks (with a pair of games left to be played), Townsend leads the NFL in net punting average at 49.8 yards per punt. He and San Francisco punter Mitch Wishnowsky are tied for the longest punt in the NFL this season at 74 yards. Townsend also has a 54-yard gross punting average, which is good for second in the NFL.
It’s basically become commonplace in the league that if you have a big game or are performing at a higher level than you previously have, you’re going to get a “random” drug test.