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The NFL is the most popular sports league in America despite the many ways it’s decided to crack down on some of its most entertaining facets. Now, it appears another consistent source of amusement is in danger of extinction thanks to a new policy meant to dissuade players from sharing drug tests on social media.
In 1971, the NFL started testing players for recreational drugs including marijuana and amphetamines, but guys who triggered a positive result were initially only subjected to “educational” discipline as opposed to fines or suspensions.
However, we were treated to a fairly seismic shift once the 1980s rolled around, as the league cracked down on the fairly rampant drug use that had been thrust into the public eye as well as the steroids it initially started screening for in 1987.
As things currently stand, every NFL player is subjected to two mandatory drug tests each year. One “Substance of Abuse” screening concerning recreational drugs (aside from THC) is scheduled on a random date between April 20th and August 9th, and another focusing on performance-enhancing substances takes place at some point during training camp.
However, the collective bargaining agreement between the NFL and NFLPA states the league can randomly test 10 players on each team on a weekly basis while capping the number of screenings an individual can be subjected to each season at six.
The nature of that pact means there will be plenty of situations where a player who just so happened to have a monster game is greeted by a slip in their locker informing them they’ve been selected for a drug test, and plenty of guys have had some fun by posting a photo of that piece of paper while implying the selection isn’t actually as random as the NFL claims.
Sadly, it appears that trend is on the verge of coming to an end thanks to the new policy the NFL rolled out on Wednesday while informing players they run the risk of being fined for posting the drug test slips on social media along with any screenshots of their interactions with the official tasked with handling the screening.
The NFLPA also sent a FAQ sheet about posting your drug tests that is, intentionally or not, pretty funny: pic.twitter.com/uhGm10DJxB
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) December 5, 2024
It doesn’t appear there’s any policy against revealing you were selected for a drug test without including any proof, so I’m having some trouble grasping why the league thought this was a necessary measure.
It was fun while it lasted.