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Throughout the investigation arising from the allegations in an Al Jazeera documentary regarding quarterback Peyton Manning, one clear path existed to getting to the bottom of the situation: Reviewing all relevant documents in the possession, custody, or control of the Guyer Institute regarding the treatment Manning and his wife received.

Although the statement released by the NFL seemed a bit vague on this point, a source with direct knowledge of the investigation tells PFT that, indeed, all relevant documents was provided to the NFL regarding the treatment the Mannings received.

Per the source, Peyton Manning was interviewed by the league recently. The session was lengthy and thorough.

Some may still say that the league didn’t try hard enough or that documents were falsified or anything other than, “The case should now be closed.” While skepticism often has its place, there’s really nothing more that can be done other than to accept that the NFL looked into the situation, that the Mannings cooperated fully, and that there was no credible evidence of a PED violation.

But if there are lingering suspicions that, a year after the NFL applied a scorched-earth approach to the Patriots and quarterback Tom Brady, the league didn’t pursue Manning aggressively enough, the NFL can blame only itself for allowing over the past few years a perception to arise that investigations are conducted with the desired ending point firmly in mind. That perception works to the detriment not only of the NFL but also to the detriment of people like Peyton Manning, who deserves the type of clear, unequivocal exoneration that becomes impossible if some have a plausible basis to decline to accept the league at its word.

In this specific case, there’s no reason not to accept the league at its word.