FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Le’Veon Bell is throwing a flag on the NFL’s drug testing policy.
The New York Jets running back says Wednesday is upset he has been randomly selected five times this season by the league to take tests for performance-enhancing drugs.
“I done had 5 ‘random’ HGH blood test in 10 weeks,” Bell tweeted. “@)NFL I’m not doing another after today, whatever y’all lookin for it obviously ain’t there.”
Bell doubled down on his Twitter comment after practice, saying it’s “getting weird” and reiterating that he will not take additional tests this season — although he stopped short of saying the league is “targeting” him with the testing.
“I’m not going to say all that,” Bell said in the locker room. “I’m just saying I’m not doing it no more. They’re not getting no more of my blood. They can use the blood they’ve got right now.”
The random drug testing is part of a collectively bargained policy between the NFL and NFL Players Association. An independent administrator determines via a computer program which players are tested each week.
“Is it random, though?” Bell said. “Why do I feel like every time they’re here doing the HGH testing, I get picked?”
Per NFL rules, players with no previous violations of the policy on performance enhancers won’t be tested more than six times in a calendar year.
“We’ve been playing the season for 10 weeks and I’ve been tested five times for HGH,” Bell said. “On average, it’s like once every two weeks, right? Every two weeks, you all been testing me and haven’t found nothing, so what are y’all looking for?
“I just don’t understand.”
If Bell does get randomly selected for a sixth test over the last five weeks of the season and he refuses to take it, the league could consider it a failed test and choose to discipline him – with suspension a possibility.
BEARS: Quarterback Mitch Trubisky said his right hip feels almost “day and night” better and expressed optimism that if he continues to feel improvement he will be ready to play Sunday against the Giants.
Trubisky suffered a hip pointer on a sack late in the second quarter Sunday night against the Rams. He played most of the second half before Coach Matt Nagy pulled him in favor of backup Chase Daniel, setting off speculation about whether Trubisky was being benched for performance reasons.
Nagy assured reporters Monday that wasn’t the case and said if Trubisky is healthy he’ll still be the starting quarterback. The Bears said Trubisky practiced in full Wednesday, and he was moving around well and throwing during the portion that is open to the media.
LIONS: Detroit activated rookie defensive end Austin Bryant and put fullback Nick Bawden on injured reserve.
Bryant has not played this season because of a torn pectoral muscle. He had been on injured reserve. Detroit drafted Bryant in the fourth round out of Clemson. He finished his college career with 20 sacks and 32 quarterback pressures, starting 29 games for the Tigers.
Bawden had a knee injury in a loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. The former San Diego State standout was drafted this year in the seventh round and had four receptions for 17 yards in 10 games.
BROWNS: Cleveland tight end David Njoku has returned to practice after missing eight games with a broken right wrist.
Njoku was injured on Sept. 16 in a win over the New York Jets when he landed awkwardly after getting his legs taken out while trying to make a leaping catch. The Browns designated Njoku for return from injured reserve on Wednesday.
In his third season out of Miami, Njoku has 92 career catches for 1,062 yards and nine touchdowns. Before he got hurt, Njoku had four catches for 37 yards and a TD this season.
DOLPHINS: Starting safeties Reshad Jones and safety Bobby McCain went on injured reserve Wednesday, further depleting an already shaky secondary.
On Tuesday, Miami cut leading rusher Mark Walton hours after he was arrested on charges of punching his pregnant girlfriend in the head. It was Walton’s fourth arrest in less than a year.
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