NFL PR man Greg Aiello sent out a tweet this morning stating that two Congressmen announced the NFL and NFLPA had come to some kind of agreement on HGH testing. There have been reports it could start as soon as next week, but the NFLPA apparently is disputing that to some extent.
There are a couple of issues with HGH testing that both sides have had to deal with as they develop the framework for testing. One of the more popular arguments we hear is "invasion of privacy" due to the use of a blood test instead of a urine test. While the privacy issue does exist, I think the bigger concern is with the testing itself. There have been some question marks raised with regards to the reliability of the current testing protocol.
The good news (at least for those who want testing started soon) is that scientists from around the world have reportedly endorsed the test as being reliable and safe. Noted sports injury expert Will Carroll is putting together an article on the potential testing. I'll post a link as soon as it is available.
In the meantime, if HGH testing is developed in the coming weeks, do you think we'll see some early suspensions? One issue with the test is that it apparently only detects synthetic growth hormone within 24-48 hours of use. While that is a weakness, if you have random testing I would think you could potentially overcome those concerns.