Carolina Panthers

NFL has cleared Peyton Manning in PED investigation

Published Jul. 25, 2016 11:06 a.m. ET

foxsports

Peyton Manning has been cleared after a seven-month investigation into performance-enhancing drug claims made in an Al-Jazeera America report, the NFL has announced.

The probe yielded “no credible evidence Peyton Manning was provided with or used human-growth hormone or other substances banned by the league,” the NFL concluded.

The news was first reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The since-retired Manning and his wife Ashley cooperated fully with the league, according to the Denver Post:

The Al-Jazeera America report alleged that HGH was sent to the couple's house for Peyton but under his wife's name. Most of the claims in the report were made by Charlie Sly, a former intern at an anti-aging clinic who later recanted those claims.

Manning finished his final season under the specter of that report, leading his Denver Broncos to a Super Bowl victory over the Carolina Panthers before announcing his retirement.

The NFL has yet to interview the active players named in the original report -- Packers linebackers Clay Matthews and Julius Peppers, Steelers linebacker James Harrison and free-agent linebacker Mike Neal -- but has made it clear it wants to.

Harrison has defied the league in very public fashion thus far.