Boston, MA – New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs is under scrutiny following a recent video that surfaced showing him on a boat with what appeared to be a pink powder. The video has attracted a fair amount of public attention and sparked comments from Patriots coach Mike Vrabel. However, there has been a notable absence of a response from the NFL office regarding this situation.
The NFL’s chief spokesman, Brian McCarthy, communicated via email that the league would “decline comment” on the matter, keeping the situation somewhat mysterious. The league has revamped its substance-abuse policy, which has made it harder for players to face immediate suspensions. Under the policy, a player’s entry into the substance-abuse program can happen if an individual exhibits signs of misuse of substances, as deemed by the Medical Director.
Once a player is placed in Stage One of this program, it makes them subject to enhanced testing and potential fines. However, a suspension is not issued until the fourth time a player fails to comply with testing protocol or clinical care requirements. Importantly, a positive urine test alone does not lead to a suspension.
This creates a unique situation where often, the public doesn’t become aware of a player’s involvement in the substance-abuse program until after a suspension occurs. Therefore, it is unclear if the recent video will directly impact Diggs or if the league will take any action regarding this matter.
As of now, it remains to be seen how Diggs and the Patriots will navigate this unexpected situation as fans await further developments.
