We already know that Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning is linked to the Al Jazeera report about doping in sports that is coming out on Sunday. Manning has denied any use of human growth hormone, which allegedly went to his house under his wife’s name while he was recovering from neck surgery in 2011.
The wide-ranging report doesn’t just implicate Manning, as there are a handful of other athletes whose names have leaked prior to the report becoming official. One of the most notable names is Philadelphia Phillies first baseman and former NL MVP Ryan Howard, who allegedly received some type of drug in 2011. As Yahoo Sports points out, Howard tore his Achilles in 2011, so his timeline and Manning’s timeline as they both recovered from injuries does match up.
Also implicated is Washington Nationals first baseman/outfielder Ryan Zimmerman. While Zimmerman did not have as serious of an injury as Howard or Manning, he did spend some time on the disabled list in 2011 due to an abdominal strain and suffered a few other small injuries during that year. The only other baseball player that we know right now is journeyman catcher Taylor Teagarden, while a handful of athletes in other sports were named. Some of the notables there include Green Bay Packers star Clay Matthews, Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison, former All-Pro defensive end/outside linebacker Julius Peppers, Miami Dolphins tight end Dustin Keller, and Mike Tyson.
