NFL Painkiller Investigation Scandal: Federal DEA Targets 49ers, Seahawks and Buccaneers

On Sunday the Drug Enforcement Administration surprised some NFL teams with an abrupt examination into recent claims of athletes abusing prescription painkillers. These teams included the San Francisco 49ers, the Seattle Seahawks and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Unfortunately, these probes by the D.E.A. were not unwarranted or spontaneous. On Nov. 16, The New York Times pointed out that:

"[The inspections] were spurred, in part, by reports of widespread abuse of painkillers that were included in a class-action lawsuit against the N.F.L. The suit, which is being heard in federal court in California, claims that team doctors routinely dispensed Percocet, Toradol, Novocain and other drugs to energize players before games and relieve pain afterward."

It would appear that the agency is not taking encroachments on the Controlled Substances Act of 1970 lightly. They go on to describe a wise move by the D.E.A.:

"..the agency has increased its policing of prescription drugs in recent years as addiction and abuse of painkillers and other medications have skyrocketed."

It appears that those under the microscope happened to be the medical staffs who traveled with the teams across America.

Thankfully for those teams involved in the incident, no arrests or serious infractions of any kind were carried out by the agency. According to an email received by Washington Post, San Francisco 49ers spokesman Bob Lange revealed that the team was asked to participate in a random inspection:

"The San Francisco 49ers organization was asked to participate in a random inspection with representatives from the DEA Sunday night at MetLife Stadium. The 49ers medical staff complied and the team departed the stadium as scheduled."

Also, one of Seattle's media staff tweeted that:

"Authorities checked in w/our travel party @ BWI & after a 5 min. delay, we proceeded onto our plane w/o incident."

Those teams involved are not the only ones who made a narrow escape on Sunday. The National Football League has received a lot of negative publicity over the course of its existence, and one tends to wonder whose blood will be on their hands next.

What do you think? Is the NFL too tyrannical to ever feel any real backlash? Or, are people getting a sour taste in their mouths? Let us know all about it in the comment section down below.