Report: Manning's lawyer confirms HGH shipped to QB's home, but not for his use
Peyton Manning's legal team revealed human growth hormone (HGH) was sent to the now retired quarterback's Florida home on Dec. 16, 2015, but that it was not intended to be used by him, Laken Litman of the Indianapolis Star reports, citing documents filed in federal court.
It was disclosed that the HGH - sent from a clinic in Indianapolis - was for Manning's wife, Ashley, to treat a condition that hasn't been revealed to the public.
During court proceedings, Al Jazeera claimed the second source for its allegations against Manning in the 2015 documentary "The Dark Side: Secrets of the Sports Dopers" was Manning's lawyer, according to Will Hobson of The Washington Post. However, Manning's lawyer merely confirmed that the HGH was for Ashley, not Peyton, and flatly rejected the notion that the hormone was for the former QB.
One of Manning's attorneys, Matthew McGill, blasted Al Jazeera for citing off-the-record information in its documentary, while contending that the network used Ashley's private medical records to lodge a patently false claim against Peyton.
"We went to their lawyers in good faith, we explained that their source was a pharmacy intern who had unlawfully compromised Ashley Manning's private medical information," McGill said to Hobson. "Instead, they exploited her private medical information to raise these baseless innuendos about Peyton. Any notion that we confirmed Sly's veracity as a source is obviously false, and is beneath contempt."
Al Jazeera countered, defending the veracity of its reporting.
"Al Jazeera stands by its reporting, and wants the whole story told," Al Jazeera attorney Charles Scheeler said to Hobson. "We invite the Manning parties and Plaintiffs to join Al Jazeera in a request to unseal all court filings in this case. Let's let the public see the full story and draw their own conclusions."
The NFL previously ruled that it found no evidence that Manning used HGH, while Major League Baseball cleared Washington Nationals infielder Ryan Zimmerman and former Philadelphia Phillies standout Ryan Howard of using substances, after Al Jazeera alleged all three players used the banned substance in the same documentary.
Related: NFL determines Manning didn't use HGH
While Manning hasn't taken legal action against Al Jazeera, Zimmerman and Howard filed a defamation suit against the network, which also details its allegations against the five-time NFL MVP.
Manning retired after the 2015 season, after leading the Denver Broncos to victory in Super Bowl 50.