Donovan McNabb blamed DUI arrest on cough syrup

Former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb told officers that he was sick and had been taking cough syrup when he was arrested late last month for driving under the influence.

Police stopped McNabb on June 28 after he rear-ended another vehicle at a stoplight in Gilbert, Ariz.

"While Donovan spoke, I noticed a strong, fruity odor on his breath. I noticed Donovan's eyes were watery and very bloodshot and his speech was slurred,'' a Gilbert officer wrote in his report, according to Jim Walsh of the Arizona Republic.

The officer then asked McNabb how much he had to drink, to which he responded, "Nothing,'' and said he had been taking cough syrup.

"Donovan opened his mouth to reveal the cough drops,'' the report stated.

McNabb was put through a sobriety test, with one of the officers noting in the report that he "was not able to stand without visibly swaying back and forth and side to side in in a rotational pattern."

McNabb was suspended indefinitely from his broadcast duties with FOX Sports following the DUI arrest, his second in the last 18 months. If convicted, he could face a mandatory minimum sentence of 90 days in jail.