The United States Anti-Doping Agency handed a one-year suspension to 49ers wide receiver Marquise Goodwin on Tuesday. But Goodwin, a former Olympic long jumper, says the issue will have no effect on his status in the NFL. He simply forgot to tell USADA he quit track and field, and this news has nothing to do with failed drug tests.
According to the USADA, Goodwin failed to provide his whereabouts, resulting in three whereabouts failures in the last 12 months. Goodwin released the following statement on Tuesday:
“Never in my life have I failed a test. I have never been opposed to testing and, in fact, have always been compliant with each and every protocol and policy associated with my competitive career in track and field. More than a year ago, I decided to cease competing in the sport in order to concentrate 100 percent on my NFL career. Therefore, I discontinued all practices associated with competing in track and field, including submitting my ‘Whereabouts’ information. It appears that because I did not inform USADA of my plans, my name was inadvertently included in their 2017 testing pool. I greatly appreciate the support of the San Francisco 49ers and the National Football League as I work to clarify this matter.”
The 49ers acquired Goodwin this spring in free agency. After finishing 10th in the 2012 Olympic long jump, he failed to make the team last summer. According to the 49ers, Goodwin has been focused only on football since then, and the NFL already understands the situation and will not discipline him:
“Marquise informed our organization quite some time ago that he has no intentions of competing in track and field and has been entirely focused on his football career for more than a year. We have been in touch with the League office regarding this matter, and understand that Marquise will not be subject to discipline under the NFL Policy on Performance-Enhancing Substances as a result of USADA’s decision.”
It’s great news for the 49ers, of course, that Goodwin won’t be disciplined. They’ll need every piece on their roster this year just to be competitive, as our Brad Gagnon has them at No. 29 in The Comeback’s preseason NFL rankings.
[ESPN]
