NFL Players Present Drug-Testing Plan Today

A new anti-drug plan drafted by the National Football League Players Assn. will propose more extensive testing during the season, a union leader said Tuesday.

Mark Murphy, executive vice president of the NFLPA, said that the “comprehensive proposal” was formulated by union members Saturday and will be unveiled at a news conference today.

Murphy would not reveal particulars of the plan, except to say that testing provisions would go further than those called for in the current collective bargaining agreement.

That contract allows drug testing at the opening of training camp and for “reasonable cause” during the season.

Reportedly, the union’s plan will acknowledge the need for testing of first offenders during the season, but it is unclear how that would differ from the current plan, which allows testing of a player who has a positive preseason test.