Wes Welker will miss the first four games of the Denver Broncos in the upcoming 2014 NFL season after being handed a four-game suspension for violating the National Football League's drug policy.
Multiple reports confirmed that Welker tested positive for amphetamines following a drug test after the Kentucky Derby earlier this year with sources saying that the results stemmed from use of Ecstasy or Molly.
When asked to comment on his suspension, Welker vehemently told The Denver Post that he did not use any banned substance during the Derby.
"I wouldn't have any idea where to get a Molly or what a Molly is," Welker said. "That's a joke. I don't do marijuana, I don't do drugs. I don't do any drugs."
Welker also added that he was shocked when he was informed about the test of the result, saying that he has never thought of using drugs to gain advantage in any competition, but he is also wondering whether it has something to do with any drink or food that he took during the Kentucky Derby.
"I want to make one thing abundantly clear: I would never knowingly take a substance to gain a competitive advantage in any way. Anyone who has ever played a down with me, lifted a weight with me, even eaten a meal with me, knows that I focus purely on what I put in my body and on the hard work," Welker said.
Losing the 33-year-old wide receiver, who is expected to play a big role for the Broncos this upcoming season, is a big blow to Denver, but Peyton Manning said that the team will be ready to step up despite the adversity.
"The players that are here, we'll stick together, raise our level of play and try to persevere," Manning said in a USA Today interview. "It won't be easy. It would be disrespectful to and inaccurate to say it's an easy transition to lose Wes Welker. It's a challenge and one our team has accepted and we're going to try to find way to overcome it."
The Broncos, who will play without Welker until October 6, will open their season against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday night at the Sports Authority Field.
