Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning expressed fury and anger on Sunday, December 27, over allegations that he’s used illegal performance-enhancing drugs.
"It stings me, whoever this guy is, to insinuate that I cut corners, I broke NFL rules in order to get healthy,” the NFL star, 39, told ESPN’s Lisa Salters. “It's a joke. It's a freaking joke.”
He added that he was "angry, furious" over the claims. "Disgusted is really how I feel, sickened by it."
The allegations were made in an Al Jazeera undercover probe, as part of a documentary entitled The Dark Side that was posted online early Sunday morning. The documentary reported that Manning was given a supply of human growth hormone (HGH) in 2011 by a pharmacist at the Guyer Institute in Indianapolis after recovering from surgery. The report named a man, Charlie Sly, who allegedly spoke to an undercover reporter working for Al Jazeera, though he denied those allegations to ESPN.
“When I was there, I had never seen the Mannings ever,” he claimed. “They were not even living there at that time. Someone who worked there said they had been there before. That was the extent of any knowledge I had. I feel badly. I never saw any files. This is just amazing that it reached this point."
The report claimed that steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs were shipped to Manning’s home in 2011, in the name of his wife, Ashley.
"The allegation that I would do something like that is complete garbage and is totally made up," Manning told Mortensen on Saturday, December 26. "It never happened. Never. I really can't believe somebody would put something like this on the air. Whoever said this is making stuff up."
Manning did, however, admit that he pursued other therapies during his recovery.
“I have had nutrient therapy, oxygen therapy and other treatments that are holistic in nature but never HGH,” the athlete said. “My wife has never provided any medication for me to take.”
The Denver Broncos defended their teammate in a statement on Sunday.
"Peyton does things the right way,” the Broncos' statement read. "Knowing Peyton Manning and everything he stands for, the Denver Broncos support him 100 percent. These are false claims made to Al Jazeera, and we don't believe the report.”
Manning’s former team, the Indianapolis Colts, also issued a statement defending the quarterback, who played with them for 14 seasons before being signed to Denver in 2012.
"We've been made aware of the recent Al Jazeera report concerning Peyton Manning and find it utterly ridiculous," the statement read. “We are thoroughly familiar with Peyton's tireless work habits, his medical history, and, most importantly, his integrity."
