MIAMI – The Seattle Seahawks could lose the team’s starting cornerbacks during a critical stretch of the season.
According to an ESPN report, defensive backs Richard Sherman and Brandon Browner will be suspended four games by the league for violating the NFL’s policy on performance enhancing substances.
A spokesperson for the league said it’s the NFL’s policy not to comment on reports of this nature. The Seahawks are aware of the report, but made no comment.
But if true, this would be the fourth and fifth Seattle player in the past year to be suspended for testing positive for performance enhancing drugs.
Seattle safety Winston Guy was suspended for four games last week by the league for testing positive for performance enhancing drugs. Guy did not appeal the suspension. Guy’s agent said he tested positive for an over-the-counter substance that’s on the league’s lengthy list of banned substances players are tested regularly for.
Second year pro John Moffitt was suspended for four games without pay last December for violating the league’s policy on performance enhancing substances.
According to Moffitt’s agent Michael George, his client was suspended for taking a drug used to treat hyperactivity, and that Moffitt did not pre-clear taking the drug with the league.
Offensive lineman Allen Barbre was suspended for the first four games of the 2012 season for violating NFL rules on performance enhancing substances.
The Seahawks released Barbre on Oct. 1, rather than sign him to the team’s 53-man active roster.
According to report on the league’s website, both players are accused of taking Adderall, a prescription stimulant more commonly used to treat attention deficit hyper-activity disorder (ADHD).
Both players claim they are innocent and are appealing the suspension. Neither player commented on the issue because it was reported after players here at Sun Life Stadium talked to reporters.
After the team plane landed in Seattle Sunday night, Sherman sent out this Tweet:
“This is issue will be resolved soon and the truth will come out. Not worried”
Walter Thurmond and Byron Maxwell would be the likely replacements for the two cornerbacks if they are unavailable for any length of time.
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