Why do top players call out the NFL's drug test request? Exploring reasons behind the league's PED policy 

NFL players absolutely hate the league's drug-testing policy. Although players aren't supposed to use performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs), it's not a hidden secret that a lot of athletes do. The secret is to not get caught.

But the biggest thing is the randomness of the tests, which can happen at any given point during the year. Many players dislike this because they feel it affects their privacy.

Let's analyze how the PED policy works and why so many players don't like it.

How often do NFL players get drug tested?

Twenty percent of players are required to take random blood tests for human growth hormones annually during training camp. These tests continue weekly during the preseason and the regular season with an arbitrary selection of athletes from each team.

Alcohol and marijuana are exempt from the league's PEDs policy.

How does the NFL's drug-testing policy work?

A player has to commit a ton of infringements to actually get suspended. A first-time offence will get a player sent to the league's drug program, while second and third infringements will get them fined.

If a player violates the PEDs policy for the fourth time, they will get suspended for four games. If they violate for a fifth time, they will get suspended from ten games. A sixth time comes with a year-long suspension.

Why do NFL players dislike the NFL's drug-testing policy?

It's supposed to be random, but some players 'randomly' get picked more often than others.

Take Le'Veon Bell, for example. In 2019, he did five tests in 10 weeks and was very upset with the tests, as he tweeted at the time:

"I done had 5 'random' HGH blood test in 10 weeks. @NFL I'm not doing another after today, whatever y'all lookin for it obviously ain't there."

He later backed up his remarks:

"Is it random, though? Why do I feel like every time they're here doing the HGH testing, I get picked? We've been playing the season for 10 weeks and I've been tested five times for HGH. On average, it's like once every two weeks, right? Every two weeks, you've all been testing me and haven't found nothing, so what are y'all looking for? I just don't understand."

It's true that he was suspended for violating the drug policy one time in his career, but marijuana was the reason, and the league later allowed marijuana as a recreational drug. As evidenced by Le'Veon Bell's experience, players seemingly do have a reason to hate this policy.