NFL clears Harrison, Matthews, Peppers in PED investigation

The National Football League announced in a press release Wednesday that James Harrison, Clay Matthews, and Julius Peppers have been cleared of any wrongdoing following allegations that they used performance-enhancing drugs.

The NFL found no credible evidence that Pittsburgh's James Harrison and Green Bay's Clay Matthews and Julius Peppers were provided with or used substances prohibited under the NFL-NFLPA Policy on Performance-Enhancing Substances following a comprehensive investigation into allegations made in a documentary by Al-Jazeera America, it was announced today.

The three players participated in interviews last week at their team facilities.

Initiated in January, the investigation was led by the NFL's security and legal teams with support from expert consultants and other professionals. The investigation involved witness interviews, a review of relevant records and other materials, electronic research, and laboratory analysis and review

All three linebackers will now be free to play in Week 1, after the NFL threatened to suspend them if they didn't cooperate with investigators. The NFLPA recommended the players not cooperate, but, according to the release, each of them participated in interviews last week.

Retired quarterback Peyton Manning and free-agent linebacker Mike Neal were also named in the Al Jazeera report. Manning cooperated with officials and was cleared earlier this offseason, but Neal hasn't been cleared thus far. The free-agent linebacker cooperated with investigators, but his case is under review, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.