NEW YORK — Ricky Williams will meet with league officials Monday seeking to overturn a drug suspension that could cost him the entire 2006 season.
League officials will not confirm drug suspensions under league policy that maintains confidentiality for positive tests. But Williams' agent, Leigh Steinberg, said last week that the hearing will take place at the NFL offices in New York.
If the positive test is upheld, it would be Williams' fourth violation of the NFL's substance abuse policy, meaning at least a one-year suspension.
"I don't know what happened, but I know Ricky didn't test positive for anything," Steinberg said. "Someone made a mistake."
Previous positive tests were for marijuana, which Williams acknowledged using. But the latest test apparently involved a drug other than marijuana.
Williams retired and sat out the 2004 season. He owes the Dolphins $8.6 million for breaching his contract, and motivated at least partly by the need for a paycheck, he returned last year to play for new Miami coach Nick Saban.
SAINTS SIGN LEWIS: Special teams ace Michael Lewis signed a three-year deal with the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. Lewis, who worked as a beer truck driver before making the Saints' roster five years ago, is the team's all-time leader in punt return yardage and kickoff return yardage. The 5-foot-8, 173-pound Lewis has returned 206 kickoffs for 4,989 yards with three touchdowns. He has returned 126 punts for 1,371 yards with one touchdown. Lewis has also recorded 43 special teams tackles, and caught 28 passes for 533 yards with one touchdown.