Ratified CBA will not contain testing for HGH
Published: August 4th, 2011 | Tags: Collective bargaining agreement, Roger Goodell
The final version of the league’s new collective bargaining agreement will contain no testing for human growth hormone, and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will retain his powers regarding off-field discipline, according to sources with knowledge of the situation.
Player representatives I’ve spoken to say the NFL Players Association will vote not to accept blood testing for HGH today, as the union has concerns about the accuracy of the testing procedures.
The issue of the commissioner’s role in discipline is not a huge obstacle at this point, as NFLPA sources say they do not anticipate the ratified CBA altering his role in handling discipline for off-field matters. However, there have been some changes made to how the commissioner can handle off-field discipline, according to sources.
The NFLPA is voting on the CBA Thursday afternoon, and both the NFL and NFLPA anticipate the process being complete in time for teams to practice fully – including players who have signed new contracts — at the scheduled start of the league year at 4 p.m. ET.