Thomas Davis, Panthers three-time Pro Bowl linebacker will be suspended first four games of the NFL next season after testing positive for a banned substance.
Davis, who said he would be retiring after the 2018 NFL season, announced this on Friday on his Twitter account saying that he is tested positive for an estrogen blocker. He said, “I was completely caught off guard by this. I have never done anything to try to cheat the game intentionally. It’s one of those situations where the NFL rules are clear. They state that you are responsible for what you put into your body.”
Davis said that he has been taking these supplements for the last seven or eight years and has never had any problems. He said that he has been tested positive for a steroid HGH and wants his fans to know that this was not the issue.
Marty Hurney, Panthers general manager, has not yet commented on the matter. Davis has been one of the NFL’s success stories and has helped the Panthers to reach the playoffs in four of the last five seasons which also includes a Super Bowl appearance in the year 2015.
Davis is one of the most popular players in the Panthers history largely because how active and visible he is in the community. He said that he has never done anything to create a competitive edge over other players.
Moreover, Davis had earlier also said this offseason that the 2018 NFL season would be his last but left an open possibility of playing even after 2018 on Friday by saying, “who knows, maybe this isn’t my last year.”
Notably, Davis a former Walter Payton Man of the Year award winner in 2015. The award is given to those NFL players each year who volunteer and do charity work and also excel in the field.
