The NFL believes that Cowboys right tackle La’el Collins attempted to bribe the league’s drug-test collector, according to sources who spoke with Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. This would help to explain Collins’ recent five-game ban. 
Collins reportedly did not test positive between October 21, 2020 and August 11, 2021. However, he’s missed seven tests along the way. The player’s camp claims that many of those missed tests were due to the pandemic, but attempted bribery is a different matter.
Schefter adds that the NFLPA helped to negotiate a reduction of the suspension, lowering it from five games to two. Instead, Collins filed an appeal and lost. The arbitrator reinstated the full five-game ban, which means that he’ll be out until Week 8, following the Cowboys’ bye. Collins has filed yet another appeal, but it’s believed to be something of a longshot.
All of those game checks will cost Collins approximately $2MM while also canceling next year’s $6.5MM injury guarantee. In the meantime, the rest of the 1-1 Cowboys are set to face the Eagles on Monday night in Dallas.
If ya ain’t trying to bribe drug testers, ya ain’t trying.
I quote George Costanza “Was that wrong? Should I have not done that? I gotta tell ya, I gotta plead ignorance on this thing. Cause I’ve worked some places where that sorta stuff happens all the time.”
wait, so that only gets you five when its clear you bribed the official AND therefore probably would have failed?
They said in the article he never failed one. He just wasn’t doing it at the right times.
Agreed. It’s not so much he missed them; it’s that he tried to bribe someone. You don’t attempt bribery if you’re clean. Bribery is double dirty. I can’t believe it was only five games. I wouldn’t thought at least a year. And I’m a Cowboys fan.
*would’ve
The suspension should’ve been much harsher than a normal positive brings. No deference from trying this in future and either successfully bribing your way out or have suspension but no stigma of a positive test.
Deterrence
He didn’t fail a test, and he got suspended 5 games. How is that not a deterrence?
He should have gotten advice from Onterrio Smith.
Was that the guy w/ the fake pee in Minny?
No that was Bob Sackamano
The guy with the fake pee-nis.
TSA’s biggest victory, I believe.
The Whizzinator!
LOL! The plot thickens…so much for the poor guy missed a test due to COVID which ended up being a bunch of tests.
He missed 7 tests out of 180 tests over 18 months.
Unfortunately he failed the intelligence test when it came to trying to bribe your way out of what should’ve been a minor problem.
Took a page out of the Von Miller playbook.
He earned the extra three games.
Is 10 times a month normal for NFL Players?
Sorry, but to maintain the integrity of the program 1 missed test should’ve resulted sanctions. That’s how it works everywhere else, or there’s no reason not to delay the testing while you flush your system. So 7 missed tests to me is ridiculous and should be a few games. To then try to bribe your way out of the testing and get a slap on the wrist is an absolute joke to anyone thinking there is any credibility to what they’re doing.
Why do the Cowboys draft or sign guys that can’t find their way out of a cardboard box? Some of the dumbest players have gone through the franchise.
Have you ever listened to the owner? Enough said.
Why bribe? Just ask your mom to give you some of her urine to fake the test, dude.
Well, the NFL usually isn’t that hard on cheating, so I guess he didn’t expect too much in the way of punishment. I felt bad for Collins originally, but now I wonder why the suspension isn’t longer.
I’d like more info on the bribery allegation. Did Collins contact the tester say on a Monday night after a missed test and say “listen I’ll meet you anywhere any time tomorrow and give you $1,000 to date the collection Monday?” Or was it more serious, “I’ll give you X to help me get clean urine / cheat the system.” Both aren’t right but I can see someone doing the first one if they really had a valid COVID sent home from the facility excuse and were worried about the missed test counting as a positive.
Key phrase here is “The NFL believes” that he attempted to bribe a collector. Either you have clear and hard evidence that a bribe was offered or you don’t. There’s no in between. And if none of you here believe that the source of this story doesn’t work in some capacity for the NFL league office, then I got some beachfront property in Florida for sale.
Man give it up. The dude is dirty. End of story.
Uh, the expression relies upon the beachfront property being in a landlocked location, and you pick… florida
It is not just the owner and players. Mad Dog has beachfront property in Florida. Maybe try DC if you are going to use sarcasm.
I am a Cowboys fan and even I believe this was worthy of a 1 year ban.
I think that if they had enough proof it would have been. And if it’s true if definitely should have been.
Ok urine man $100 if you say you couldn’t get a hold of me. No give me your urine. Ok $1000 to use your urine. No give me your urine. NO URINE FOR YOU. I will have to report this.
OK La they wanted to give you a 5 game suspension but the union got it to 2. No way I didn’t bribe him tried to give him a tip instead of urine. Because how much can urine boy make? They no where pay enough to carry urine around. Just trying to help. I will appeal the 2 days. Not going to get better.
La did you try and bribe Mr P? Nope was just a tip. Ok guilty we are going back to five days. I want to appeal. Ok but could add more games for being dumb.
There is a guy named mad dog on a website that believes you’re not guilty want him to be your counsel? Nobody else wants that on their record.
Run his ass out of the league. Is anyone really surprised?
There’s a reason he went undrafted.
Yeah, but he was totally vindicated. Without that I’ll-timed odd occurrence he was unquestionably a 1st round pick.
Ill-timed damn autocorrect…
I got promoted to Sergeant with the “opinion police” this month. I think the league should be strict on all punishments. Players, owners have been given such a privileged opportunity to make that kind of money. Physical risk sure enough but to sign a contract like these guys do should certainly let them know not very many people get such an opportunity. Instead they dance around the rules and pretend that people believe their fingerpointing to other why they were put in a bad place?