Yes, the NFL plans to interview multiple players regarding allegations of PED use arising from an Al Jazeera report. No, the players aren’t the ones dragging their feet.
Per a source with knowledge of the situation, the players in question -- Clay Matthews, Julius Peppers, and James Harrison -- are and have been willing to submit to interviews, along with free-agent Mike Neal. The delay arises from an inability of the NFL and NFL Players Association to reach an agreement on the scope of the interviews and other factors relevant to the process.
The NFLPA understandably is concerned about the precedent this could set, given the questions that have emerged regarding the credibility of the Al Jazeera report. If interviews proceed based on the information reported by Al Jazeera, what else could spark an investigation? A claim on social media that a player used steroids? An anonymous tip to the league office that a player bought HGH?
As a result, the union is pushing back on behalf of all players, even though the players currently involved insist that they have no concerns about the issue and, likewise, nothing to hide.
