Running back Doug Martin’s four-game suspension under the NFL’s PED policy arises from a positive test for Adderall, PFT has confirmed. (The news was first reported by NFL Media, which constitutes another example of the NFL’s in-house media operation violating supposedly clear confidentiality principles under the PED and substance-abuse policies.)
During the offseason, Adderall is treated as a banned substance under the substance-abuse policy. During football season, it’s regarded as a PED due to the impact it has on a player’s ability to focus.
The statement issued by Martin created the impression that he was suspended for violating the substance-abuse policy. That’s not the case; however, the PED violation does not relate to steroids, HGH, or any other substance that traditionally would be associated with the concept of doping for competitive gain.
