Josh Freeman In Stage One Of NFL’s Drug Program

Tampa Bay Buccaneers troubled quarterback Josh Freeman is reportedly a stage one participant in the NFL’s drug program.

At this point in time, Freeman is not in danger of being suspended by the league for drug or substance abuse, instead, he is only subject to random testing.

Sources with knowledge of the situation told ESPN’s Chris Mortensen that Josh Freeman is using a prescription drug currently banned by the NFL, but he has a temporary use exemption.

The leak of the news could not come at worse time for Josh Freeman. After five seasons as Tampa Bay’s starting quarterback, he was demoted to third string in Sunday’s game. Rookie Mike Glennon took his place, and the Bucs were beat by the Arizona Cardinals 13-10.

Freeman, unhappy about his benching, has said publicly he would like to be traded or released immediately, a move he says would be best for both sides.

The news that Josh Freeman is under surveillance by the NFL for drug use could scare away potential suitors, and there probably weren’t many to begin with.

Starting in the offseason, Freeman will need to find some way to fix his heavily broken reputation.

It’s important to note, however, that the stage one status given to Freeman is not an indication he has tested positive for a banned substance. If is he taking a prescription drug, it is very reasonable to believe he let the NFL know before he started medicating himself.

Coincidentally, Josh Freemans stage one status might also be related to his behavior. It will be interesting to find out what exactly is going on with the young player as more information becomes available.

[image via Wikimedia Commons]