Lane Johnson initially denied reports about his potential 10-game suspension for a second PED violation. Jay Glazer then reported that Johnson told him he “took an amino acid that was approved but tested positive for peptide.” What the hell does that mean? I’ll try to keep this as non-technical as I can so you understand what I’m saying and I understand what I’m saying.

What are peptides? Simply, they’re “a small chain of amino acids that isn’t quite long enough to be considered a full protein (less than 50 units),” according to an Australian story on athletes using them. They’re reportedly nearly undetectable in urine testing, but under the NFL’s new (since 2014) drug policy, expanded HGH testing includes blood tests. According to the Conversation, though peptides occur naturally, the ones used in sports are secretagogues, meaning they cause another substance – specifically human growth hormone – to be secreted. This is especially handy in bodybuilding, since they assist the body in recovery and building mass quickly. And it helps in athletics too: A-Rod used a peptide given to him by Tony Bosch.

They’re also incredibly dangerous. Peptides have been linked to the death of an Australian rugby player, and though details surrounding their legality are murky, it seems they are “only legally available for research purposes or in specific clinical situations. “No one is completely sure what happens to the human body when these products are utilized for long-term use.” DEA spokesman Rusty Payne told USA Today that “the purity of the peptides can’t be ensured. Nor can their potency; buyers are at the mercy of those formulating the drugs,” making the already dangerous substances even more questionable. As Bleacher Report said, “these drugs could be killers, and expansion of their usage is a serious concern.”

According to the USA Today report about their increasing use in baseball, they’re “typically formulated from raw materials imported from China.” So why would an athlete take them? PED writer Anthony Roberts told Bleacher Report, flat out, “they work.”  Additionally, they’re more easily detected by a testing process known as IRMS, which Major League Baseball reglarly uses but the NFL only does in special cases.

Johnson is reportedly appealing the positive test, waiting on his B sample to come in, and claiming he did nothing other than take a substance on the approved list.