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A federal judge on Friday denied a request by the NFL Players Association to put the suspensions of five players on hold while the case over use of a banned substance is being appealed.  U.S.  District Judge Paul Magnuson sent some issues surrounding the suspensions of Minnesota Vikings defensive tackles Kevin Williams and Pat Williams back to the state courts.

Peter Ginsberg, attorney for both Vikings, said Friday’s ruling would not affect them because they have a stay on their suspensions from a state court. “I don’t think it effects our clients at all,” he said. They will be back in front of a state judge next week.

Three New Orleans Saints players tested positive for a banned diuretic last year and given four-game suspensions for violating the NFL’s anti-doping policy.

Judge Magnuson said  the NFL’s policy is clear: Players are responsible for what they put in their bodies, and inadvertently ingesting a banned substance is not an excuse.

The NFLPA and the Williamses had argued in separate lawsuits that NFL officials knew a weight-loss supplement called StarCaps contained the banned diuretic bumetanide back in 2006, even though it wasn’t listed on the label, and that the league should have notified players and federal regulators.

The NFL bans bumetanide because it can be used as a masking agent for steroids. The five players were not accused of taking steroids.