Three NFL Darlings Must Explain Ties To Al-Jazeera-Exposed Doctor

The Al-Jazeera story isn't over yet.

Four players, including three prominent NFL superstars, have got some explaining to do to Roger Goodell.

Like...  NOW.

And the Green Bay Packers' season may depend on it.

The Packers (who already have two players suspended) now must submit Julius Peppers and Clay Matthews -- almost-indisputably the two highest-profile players on that defense -- to Roger Goodell by August 25 regarding Peppers' and Matthews' possible ties to the doctor exposed in the Al-Jazeera story in January, Charlie Sly.  (The same doctor tied to Peyton Manning...)

James Harrison of the Steelers and Mike Neal, a free agent, must also comply.

The Players' Association, seeing this coming, according to Yahoo! Sports, obtained affidavits from all four players professing innocence.  Goodell wants to hear none of this, and wants the four for personal questioning -- or he will ban them indefinitely for conduct detrimental to the league.

The Packers would have to pay significant fines for having a third (and then a FOURTH) player suspended by the league.  The Steelers would have to pay a good-sized fine based on Harrison's checks for their third.

Goodell has been seeking these players for a decent period of time, and has felt stonewalled by both the players and the Players Association.  So he's invoking basically Best Interests of the Game and forcing them to talk.

This could be the case that brings down Goodell, or starts to bring down most of the rank-and-file of the NFL.  Stay tuned -- this could be a messy one.