Not surprisingly, retired NFL quarterback Peyton Manning was cleared by the NFL of HGH use allegations stemming from an Al Jazeera report last fall.
The NFL released a statement Monday morning, via NFL Communications.
“Following a comprehensive seven-month investigation into allegations made in a documentary by Al-Jazeera America, the NFL found no credible evidence that Peyton Manning was provided with or used HGH or other substances prohibited by the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances, it was announced today.”
The statement also said the Manning family was fully cooperative with the investigation and that the NFL will continue to investigate the other players named in the report.
The NFLPA has not been on board with the investigation to begin with, saying the NFL has no credible evidence to support it. The union also advised Manning to not cooperate with the investigation, as it would set a bad precedent.
But as Manning is no longer an NFL player and has aspirations to perhaps one day become a coach, he decided to cooperate and get the monkey off his back in a timely manner.
The legendary quarterback said all along that he never used HGH. Furthermore, Charlie Sly, the alleged whistle blower in the case, recanted his statements in a YouTube video (watch here).
While the investigation cannot absolutely prove he never did take the substance, it did not find sufficient evidence to make any move against him. No doubt, the NFL and NFLPA will continue battling over this issue as it pertains to the other players who were listed in the initial report.