Richard Sherman Says He Was Tested for PEDs, HGH After 49ers' Win vs. Vikings

San Francisco 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman revealed on Twitter that he was tested for performance-enhancing drugs and human-growth hormones after his team's 27-10 win over the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday in the NFC Divisional Round.

Sherman picked off a Kirk Cousins pass early in the third quarter to set up a Tevin Coleman touchdown that helped give the 49ers a 24-10 lead following the extra point. He and the 49ers defense were exceptional in holding Minnesota to 147 yards of offense.

The cornerback isn't the only person to note the frequency or timing of random NFL drug tests in the past few years, with Carolina Panthers safety Eric Reid, New York Jets running back Le'Veon Bell and Cleveland Browns wideout Odell Beckham Jr. also doing so.

Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports (then of Sports Illustrated) provided a glimpse into how the NFL chooses players for random drug tests in a Dec. 20, 2018 piece:

"The league's process for testing for prohibited substances is laid out in the 2011 collective bargaining agreement. It's a joint policy between the NFL and the NFL Players Association, and the testing is overseen by an independent administrator—for the past quarter-century that's been Dr. John Lombardo. He's paid by both the league and the union, and the two entities have the power to fire him as well.

"Players are selected randomly by a computer program each week. Names are not used in this system. Rather, every NFL player has his own unique player ID, kind of like an employee number like many of us have. Ten players from every team—drawn from the active roster, practice squad and reserve list—are selected each week. The tests are performed throughout the week, some immediately after a game and others in the middle of the practice week."

Sherman has been in the news because of drug tests in the past, as he won an appeal of a four-game suspension for testing positive for Adderall in 2012. Marc Weinrich of Sports Illustrated provided more information.

"News first broke of his failed test Nov. 28. Sherman's argument was that the cup was leaking at the time that he submitted it and that there were mistakes made by the tester at the lab. Sherman said a second cup was placed under his cup to stop the leaking and the seal on that second cup was broken. His drug test for Adderall will now be voided because it has broken the chain of custody and Sherman will not be suspended."

Sherman also happened to receive another random drug test on Dec. 27, 2012, the day he won his appeal per ESPN's Eric D. Williams.

Sherman and the 49ers will either host the Seattle Seahawks or the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday, January 19.