NEW YORK — Redskins wide receiver Santana Moss arranged to be treated by a Toronto doctor last fall before the doctor’s assistant was arrested for smuggling unapproved drugs into the United States, according to The Buffalo (N.Y.) News.
Moss’ involvement surfaced two days after federal prosecutors filed a criminal complaint accusing the doctor, Anthony Galea, with illegally distributing human growth hormone and importing an unapproved drug, Actovegin, into the United States.
Investigators began looking into Galea after his assistant was stopped at the U.S.-Canada border in September. She told officials she was on her way to the Washington area to meet Galea, who was treating a professional athlete.
Redskins coach Mike Shan- ahan said Thursday he had not been contacted by the NFL and was reluctant to make assumptions about Moss.
“Let’s just wait and see before we throw him underneath the bus,” he said.
Greg Aiello, a spokesman for the NFL, declined to comment, citing the federal investigation. No athletes or teams are named in the federal complaint.
Moss said this month that he recently had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee because of an injury that had persisted for three years. And Wednesday, he told The Washington Post that he did not want to talk about Galea.
“I’ll talk about football; I don’t know about” anything else, he said.
Johnson back with Texans
HOUSTON — The Texans haven’t promised Andre Johnson a new contract, but the star receiver practiced with the team after skipping the previous three voluntary workouts over a contract dispute.
“I didn’t feel comfortable sitting at home because that’s not me,” he said. “If all the guys were out here working, I felt I like I should be out here working.”
Johnson has five years left on an eight-year contract worth $60 million that included $15 million in guarantees. The Texans reworked his original contract three years ago when it had two years remaining.
Johnson met with owner Bob McNair on Wednesday and said he’s ready to “move on.”
McNair said he made no guarantees beyond a commitment to discuss the contract but was confident Johnson will remain a “happy Texan.”
Thomas retires a Dolphin
DAVIE, Fla. — Zach Thomas signed a one-day contract with the Dolphins, officially worth $1 — but in actuality, worth so much more to the linebacker, who long lamented not getting the chance to say a proper farewell when Miami released him two years ago.
With that, he finally said goodbye.
“I’m a little bit nervous right now,” Thomas said at the team’s training facility. “More nervous than any game I ever played.”
Thomas had 1,038 tackles, 19 1/2 sacks and 17 interceptions in 168 games for the Dolphins, and he was chosen for seven Pro Bowls.
“I am both sad and happy that after 28 years of football, I am finally calling it quits,” Thomas said. “The game has been good to me. I am happy for the Miami Dolphins’ organization and this regime right now.”
Footnotes.
The Bears signed Dan LeFevour, a rookie quarterback from Central Michigan selected 181st overall in April’s draft, to a four-year contract.
• The Packers signed quarterback Graham Harrell and released quarterback Chris Pizzotti.
