The timing of the NFL's postgame drug tests have been a long-running joke among the league's players. Just a few weeks ago, Philadelphia Eagles' running back Saquon Barkley said he was tested after his incredible backward hurdle, and his teammates pranked him with a fake test weeks later after his 302-yard outing against the Los Angeles Rams. More than 11 years ago, then-Indianapolis Colts punter Pat McAfee was among the players to receive one of those questionably-timed tests.
Players clearly don't believe that the tests are all that random, and there are numerous examples of players sharing that they were tested coming off of remarkable plays or performances. Those jokes may be coming to an end... or they'll be very costly to players, at the very least.
The NFL and NFL Players Association reached an agreement on updates to the league's substances of abuse (SOA) and performance-enhancing substances (PES) policies, and among the updates is a $15,000 fine for "recording and posting collection process on social media."
Tom Pelissero of NFL Network shared an FAQ from the NFLPA clarifying that players may not share the slip informing them of a test, text messages with the drug tester or anything from inside the testing room. McAfee responded to the post with "RIP," and a share of his Oct. 2013 post of his own drug test, administered after he laid a huge hit on Denver Broncos
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) December 5, 2024
McAfee says he was drug tested regularly during his NFL career, and believed that his social media posts played a part. Now, players will have to think twice before taking shots at the timing of the NFL's random drug tests, or they'll be down 15 grand.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Pat McAfee Laments Likely End to Humorous NFL Drug Test Social Media Posts.
