NFLPA Warns Players About Potentially Contaminated Meat in China, Mexico

The NFL Players Association sent out a memo Tuesday cautioning players to watch what they eat on vacation during the offseason.

According to a Twitter post by Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Steve Smith Sr., the NFLPA told players to be wary of ingesting meat in China or Mexico since it could be contaminated with clenbuterol—an anabolic steroid that will produce a positive test:   

Arizona Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson also shared the statement and added the hashtag #GottaGoVeganOnVacation after saying, "This can't be real life!" 

According to ESPN's Tania Ganguli and Dan Graziano, the warning was shared with players after Houston Texans left tackle Duane Brown tested positive for clenbuterol following a bye week vacation to Baja California in Mexico. His agent, Kennard McGuire, released a statement on Brown being able to beat the positive test with an appeal, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle:

"

Landmark for the NFLPA, we applaud them for their efforts and support. This sets precedents, but also at the same time creates awareness. While I understand the desire for real information, I am concerned about the narrative for personal information being disclosed. We are excited for Duane because a huge burden has been removed. We can now focus 100 percent on his upcoming season.

"

And while it may seem like a fairly mundane warning from the NFLPA at first glance, the league's substance-abuse policy is cut-and-dried when it comes to testing positive for performance-enhancing substances. 

According to the statement, the league's official policy reads as follows: "Players are responsible for what is in their bodies." 

So even if a player travels abroad and unintentionally consumes meat containing the prohibited substances, the explicit nature of the rules makes it clear there won't be any room for excuses.