Terrence Metcalf

October 14th, 2008 filed in Football

Terrence Metcalf, offensive lineman for the Chicago Bears, has been suspended four games for violating the National Football League’s policy on performance-enhancing substances. Metcalf, in his 7th season out of Mississippi, lost his starting job in training camp. He will be eligible to return for the November 23rd game versus the St. Louis Rams.

The Chicagoist explains the positive test :

The Bears will be without Terrence Metcalf for the next four games after the guard tested positive for a diuretic in a random drug test during the preseason. Because they can be used to mask steroid use, they are among the banned substances for players in the NFL.

The Chicago Sun-Times has both Coach and Player reaction :

”It’s something that happens,” coach Lovie Smith said. ”I look at those things like I do injuries. We’re not going to have a player for a certain amount of time, and we’ll go from there. When you make a mistake like that, there are consequences that go with it.”

Metcalf, who looked to be locked in as the left guard before arthroscopic surgery on his right knee in training camp, is unsure what he took to fail the drug test. Diuretics can be used as masking agents for steroids, but Metcalf is adamant he didn’t use steroids, and that’s not what came up on his test.

Metcalf is the 3rd player in as many weeks to be suspended for violating the league’s performance-enhancing substances policy, joining Jamar Nesbit and Darryl Blackstock.

So what do you think, did Terrence Metcalf CHEAT, or was he BEAT by bad testing?