DEA investigating NFL over prescription drugs in locker rooms

Recent stories from high-profile former players like Jim McMahon, Richard Dent and Marcellus Wiley have painted a picture of NFL teams as shameless prescription drug pushers. So it’s probably no surprise that the DEA is reportedly investigating the NFL.

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Per the New York Daily News, the feds are interviewing former players to find out how NFL teams are able to acquire all the prescription drugs – from Percodan to Vicodin to Toradol – that they then hand out to players like candy so they can drag their battered bodies back onto the field.

The investigation was launched in the wake of a lawsuit by 1300 former players accusing the NFL of illegally distributing painkillers and other medications. Steve Silverman, an attorney for the players, told the Daily News.

"The allegations in our lawsuit, that the NFL has violated state and federal drug laws, have been confirmed by over 1,300 former NFL players. We are pleased to learn that the DEA and United States Department of Justice are also taking our clients’ allegations seriously and are actively protecting the welfare of NFL players."

The suit alleges that the NFL turned former players like Jim McMahon into pill popping junkies in the name of profits, and never warned them about the potential dangers of taking the drugs. Some players became so hooked that they took to stealing drugs and acquiring them on the street to feed their jones.

Neither the DEA nor the NFL would comment on the matter when approached by the Daily News.

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