Raiders’ McCoy suspended 6 games for drug policy violation

The NFL says McCoy will begin serving out his suspension right away while still on the Raiders’ reserve/injured list. The Raiders will not have to make any adjustments to their lineup as McCoy has been out of commission since Week 1.

Taking to Twitter to apologize to his family, the NFL, his teammates and fans, he said, ”I love the game of football and have nothing but respect for the players, fans, and this league.”

“I’ve given my all to this game and worked my entire career to compete, train, and rehabilitate at a high level with integrity,” he added.

McCoy: It was a an honest mistake

The six-time Pro-Bowler said that what he did was all “an honest mistake”, and that he hadn’t realized he had taken a prohibited drug.

McCoy said, “In no way would I ever intentionally take anything to help with performance or gain a competitive advantage."

“It was with great disappointment that I recently learned I tested positive for a banned substance- something I was prescribed to take to help with scar tissue and tendon strength from a previous injury.”

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Injury-prone All-Pro

McCoy has been plagued by quite a number of injuries for years. He was sidelined all of last season due to a ruptured quadricep muscle he suffered in training camp with the Dallas Cowboys. He was hurt again during the Raiders’ season opener which they won against the Baltimore Ravens, and had to leave the game after suffering a left knee injury.

The 33-year-old All-Pro is expected to sit out the rest of the season.