Inflategate anyone?
At his appeal hearing, New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman plans to “mount a vigorous defense” to the four-game suspension the NFL gave him for allegedly violating the league’s policy on using performance-enhancing substances to inflate his muscles.
News about the suspension broke weeks ago, but today is the first time Edelman has officially had the chance to contest it with the league.
According to Dan Graziano of ESPN, Edelman’s defense team plans to go after the way the NFL handled the wideout’s test results and documented the results. Also at issue is the belief the substance Edelman tested positive for wasn’t one the league’s drug testers could identify.
“I am very sorry — I don’t know what happened,” Edelman wrote on Instagram following the test. “I’ve taken many, many tests obviously over the course of my career, and nothing like this has ever happened.”
Represented by New York-based attorney Alex Spiro, Edelman could choose to pursue an appeal of his case in federal court if the ruling does not go in his favor.
Considering how the league has ruled in previous cases involving prominent New England players, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see this matter make its way up the courthouse food chain.
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