Houston Texans owner Bob McNair will meet with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on Monday in an attempt to reduce or overturn linebacker Brian Cushing's four-game suspension, according to the *Houston Chronicle*.
The Pro Bowl linebacker was suspended for the first four games of the regular season for violating the league's policy against performance enhancing drugs after testing positive for human chorionic gonadotropin, or HCG, a banned substance that can be used to mask steroids.
Cushing has denied using HCG and said he didn't know how the substance got into his system.
McNair will present Goodell with new evidence to support Cushing's case, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.
"The question of how it got into my body is still unclear," Cushing said in May. "It's something that I'm very personally concerned about, just the fact that how it's there and what's going to determine it from happening again, and that's something we're going to have to medically investigate."
Cushing said that after failing the test, he was told HCG can get in your body from injecting it or because of tumors. The second-year linebacker underwent testing for tumors, but those tests were negative.
Cushing said in May that he neither injected nor ingested any banned substances. "I personally know I'm not injecting myself with anything," he said.
If the suspension sticks, Cushing will miss games against Indianapolis Colts, Washington Redskins, Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants.
Cushing retained The Associated Press NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award following a revote prompted by his suspension. He won the original balloting in January with 39 votes out of 50 from a nationwide panel of sports writers and broadcasters who cover the NFL. The second time, Cushing received 18 votes to 13 for Buffalo Bills safety Jairus Byrd and 12 for Green Bay Packers linebacker Clay Matthews.
Cushing was offended that some in the media called for him to give up the award. "Why? I know I didn't do anything," he said. "I earned that award. I did everything I could. I was disappointed with the revote, but I have to respect the process again. But, no, I would never. I know what I did."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
