James Harrison has funny response to 'random' PED test by NFL

The NFL is rarely subtle about its timing. James Harrison is rarely subtle about anything.

Which is why the 38-year-old Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker doesn’t appear too shocked when he posted a Facebook Live video on Tuesday indicating that the league served him with a “random” drug test.

Note the emphasis by Harrison. After saying “surprise, surprise, your boy got a random PED test today,” he repeats the word “random” several times. Pretty clear he believes the league has targeted him. If the NFL could test for sarcasm, Harrison would be suspended indefinitely.

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The reason for the suspicious timing, of course, is because of the recent threats by the NFL to suspend Harrison, Green Bay Packers defenders Julius Peppers and Clay Matthews and ex-Packer Mike Neal for their recent non-compliance in a PED probe following an Al Jazeera report this past winter suggesting that they and retired quarterback Peyton Manning were guilty of receiving substances that were banned from the NFL.

The league has made it extremely clear in the wake of their deflate-gate victory over Tom Brady, who — in their eyes — did not aid the NFL’s investigation fully, that it will attempt to flex its disciplinary muscles over players who do not comply with their every request when they are accused of any wrongdoing. Since then, the league cleared Manning in the PED probe and issued a press release that slapped a blatant headline on it regarding Manning’s full cooperation in the investigation.

Manning might not have done the other guys named in the investigation any solids.

Now they sit and wait for the next move, presumably by the union on their behalf. Harrison, who has submitted a sworn affidavit on the matter, also said he would talk to the league, but the prerequisites for that — the interview being at his house prior to training camp, with Roger Goodell in attendance — have passed. Now he’s out on the field playing football (and playing well, even in preseason) and posting funny things to social media. Across various formats.

The suggestion seems clear: Harrison is still doing what he does and that he doesn’t need help to do so. We’ll see if that’s the case.

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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at edholm@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!

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