NFL: Al-Jazeera-implicated players must speak or face suspension

The NFL has threatened discipline, including suspension, for players refusing to cooperate with the league's investigation into steroid claims made by an Al-Jazeera America report.

Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison, Green Bay Packers linebackers Clay Matthews and Julius Peppers and former Packers linebacker Mike Neal have until Aug. 25 to comply with the league's requests for interviews, according to an NFL letter sent to the NFLPA and obtained by ESPN.

Vice president of labor policy and league affairs Adolpho Birch wrote the league has a "good faith basis" for investigating potential violations of the NFL's drug policy, yet the league has made at least seven unsuccessful attempts to interview these players.

"For those players whose interviews do not take place on or before [Aug. 25], or who fail meaningfully to participate in or otherwise obstruct the interview, their actions will constitute conduct detrimental and they will be suspended, separate and apart from any possible future determination that they violated the steroid policy,"

Birch wrote. "The suspension for each such player will begin on Friday, August 26 and will continue until he has fully participated in an interview with league investigators, after which the Commissioner will determine whether and when the suspension should be lifted."
http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/17312784/nfl-says-al-jazeera-implicated-players-speak-league-face-suspension