by David Zizmor

The notion that former 49er Chris Borland was getting tested for substance abuse and that he decided to retire ahead of the test is ridiculous. The players get tested all throughout the season. It’s not like this was the only drug test that Borland ever had. There’s no reason to believe he’s been taking performance enhancing drugs or abusing some other substances of some kind.

The ESPN article read Borland announced his retirement before he actually filed his papers then he got notification from the NFL that he was going to be tested for various substances this was going to be a typical drug test that they take. Borland was surprised because he figured he was retiring “why would you test me?”

Supposing the NFL has a point and there’s some validity to it that the league tests players even after their retirement to make sure that a player isn’t making such an announcement because a test might be happening or because that player knows their in violation and their retiring making the announcement to avoid the test all together.

There is something to that that’s a way that players could abuse the system if they knew they were going to violate or they knew they weren’t going to pass the test they could announce their retirement and sit out for a little while and if they change their mind and come back in the NFL. That’s clearly not the case for Borland he clearly definitely retired as the story details, he announced his retirement, they sent him the drug test.

Borland’s agents and attorneys said he took the NFL test but he also simultaneously gave a separate sample to independent private company who does the same kind of testing just to make sure there wasn’t any shenanigans on the NFL side. Borland has a point there, Borland was concerned because of the potential political repercussions of his retirement and it was clear he was retiring because of his concerns about concussions and the long term effects of playing football.

David Zizmor covers the NFL for http://www.sportsradioservice.com catch the podcast below