Panthers veteran linebacker Thomas Davis announced Friday (on Twitter) that he’s been suspended for the first four games of the upcoming season for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances. This is Davis’ first suspension for violating the league’s PED policy.
“This is by far one of the saddest days of my NFL career,” Davis said in the tweet, which was accompanied by a video. “I never thought that this would happen to me. I’ve worked extremely hard to do things the right way on and off the field. Panther Nation please know that I am not a cheater.
The Panthers have yet to comment on the suspension. Davis said in the video that he was “caught off guard” when he received a positive test for what he said he was an estrogen blocker supplement.
“I’ve taken the same supplements for the last seven or eight years and never had any issues, been tested numerous times over the years while taking the same stuff,” Davis said in the video. “Unfortunately, this is some of the things that happen when you take supplements. I’ve never tested positive for steroids or HGH. This is not one of those situations.”
Davis, 35, had indicated that 2018 would be his last season but said in the video that it might not be due to the suspension. He’s spent all 13 seasons of his career with Carolina, including three Pro Bowl appearances and winning the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award in 2014.
Davis was set to start at outside linebacker in the Panthers’ 4-3 scheme, with Shaq Thompson on the other edge and Luke Kuechly in the middle. Ben Jacobs, Richie Brown and David Mayo are likely to see an uptick in playing time during Thompson’s absence.
Typical “I have no idea how this could’ve happened” remark. Doesn’t any player ever own up to it?
I mean, drug tests can flag false positives and can be wrong, but with such ample, unregulated supplement usage, you can never truly know what’s going into your body.
Not truly knowing what you are putting into your body is all the more reason for avoid these supplements. The manufacturers always claim the products are as harmless as gum drops but they aren’t the ones who have to live with the consequences if a health issue occurs. Davis mentions he has been doing this for 7 or 8 years which indicates how well the corporate propaganda works and how hard it is for players to break free of the cycle.