NFL hits Denver Broncos RG Quinn Meinerz with ‘random’ drug test after viral block vs. Los Angeles Rams DT Aaron Donald
The Denver Broncos’ standout right guard woke up to quite the message from the league after planting one of the all-time greats on his back during Sunday night’s win.
The Denver Broncos picked up a 30-26 win over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday Night Football in Week 3 of the 2026 NFL season.
During the game, Broncos RG Quinn Meinerz had a play that went viral online. This came after he blocked Rams DT Aaron Donald and drove him to the ground on a pass rush attempt. Donald attempted a spin move, and Meinerz used Donald’s momentum to throw him to the ground.
It was an impressive display of strength, athleticism, and prowess against a player with plenty of NFL Defensive Player of the Year selections and All-Pros under his belt. For the 27-year-old Meinerz, viral videos and standout plays aren’t uncommon. He wouldn’t be with the Broncos if it weren’t for viral videos that earned him an invite to the Senior Bowl.
Meinerz has become quite the NFL talent. He’s started 76 of 82 regular season games and three postseason contests for Denver from 2021 through 2026. He’s a team captain and generally considered one of their best offensive players. What Meinerz is likely a stranger to is what came after his play went viral on Sunday night.
NFL selects Denver Broncos’ Quinn Meinerz for ‘random’ drug test after Week 3 win
Meinerz took to social media to show the world what the NFL had in store for him. He woke up to a message from the league on Monday morning:
“Quinn this is Christian on behalf of the NFL and Drug Free Sport. You have been selected to complete a performance-enhancing substance (PES) test today. You must complete your test prior to the start of the afternoon team activities. Please bring your government-issued ID or team ID.”
It’s an ongoing joke for those inside and outside the league that, after a strong performance, the NFL will randomly select players for a drug test. It doesn’t matter if it’s a record-long field goal or a crazy-productive night as a wide receiver. If you do well, the NFL’s going to select you for a “random” drug test.
Meinerz had such an impressive performance against one of the all-time greats at the interior defensive line position that it prompted a drug test. Outside of that standout play, was it really all that impressive, or did Donald make Meinerz look average?
The performance of Meinerz tells an interesting story through 3 games
Through three games this season, Miners has allowed just four total pressures. He’s allowed no hits and no sacks on quarterback Bo Nix. Ironically, despite that standout viral play on Sunday, Meinerz didn’t have the greatest game. Pro Football Focus graded his 41 pass-blocking reps as the worst of the season. He recorded just a 21.6 pass-blocking grade during Sunday night’s win.
Regardless, the NFL saw that play and decided the Broncos’ All-Pro deserved a drug test after the 35-year-old Donald got taken out. That’s the real story here. The league continues its trend of randomly selecting players for drug tests after their performance draws attention. Even if Meinerz didn’t have a great statistical game compared to his first two weeks, that play was more than enough for the league to call in a test.
