Brian Cushing's Positive Test Came In 2009

Brian Cushing's positive test that ultimately violated the NFL's steroid policy came in 2009, John McClain of the Houston Chronicle reports.

This is an important distinction because it indicates whatever banned substance he was taking apparently was utilized during the season. This is different than another player, like Dwayne Bowe, who tested positive for a diuretic during the offseason. That said, it's still against the rules at any time.

Meanwhile, Cushing's suspension drew a statement from the Texans owner, Bob McNair. It's usually not a good thing for an owner to make public comments about you.

“We're very disappointed, and he's disappointed, too,” Texans owner Bob McNair said Friday. “It was a surprise to us. Unfortunately, these things happen in the NFL. They're like injuries in that you can never predict them.”

Except...these things don't just happen. They happen because the player has taken a substance banned by the NFL. If this is a StarCaps-type situation, where the banned substance wasn't listed as an ingredient, then it's different. But the majority of the time, these violations are clearly preventable.

Check up on Battle Red Blog for more news and analysis on this situation.