A seven-month NFL investigation "found no credible evidence that Peyton Manning was provided with or used HGH or other substances prohibited by the league's policy on performance-enhancing substances," the league announced on Monday morning.
Manning was accused in an Al Jazeera America documentary of receiving growth hormone from Guyer Institute, which was shipped to his wife, Ashley Manning. Charlie Sly, the primary source of the documentary who was videotaped talking about the doping habits of several high-profile athletes without his knowledge, immediately recanted his statements upon the release of the report.
The league said in a statement that the Manning family was "fully cooperative" and provided access to all requested records amid an investigation that involved "witness interviews, a review of relevant records and other materials, online research, and laboratory analysis and review."
The NFLPA issued the following statement:
"As a former player, Peyton Manning is free to do whatever he believes is in his best interest. The Union knows that he understands the rights of players under the Collective Bargaining Agreement and would never do anything to hurt or undermine active players in support of those rights."
The investigation into other NFL players named in the report -- James Harrison, Clay Matthews, Julius Peppers and Mike Neal -- is still ongoing. Most recently, the NFL decided that affidavits provided by those players would not be considered cooperation and that all involved parties still needed to conduct in-person interviews with the NFL.
So ends a turbulent chapter of Manning's life. The Broncos quarterback saw allegations surface during his preparation for the playoffs and vehemently denied using shortcuts in his recovery from neck surgery. He did not sue Al Jazeera despite initially suggesting he would.
