Report: NFL Denies Chiefs Lineman's Request To Add M.D. To Jersey

Ryan Mayer

In May, Kansas City Chiefs offensive lineman Laurent Duvernay-Tardif earned his medical degree from McGill University. After accomplishing that feat, he told reporters that he was hoping the NFL would allow him to add M.D. to the back of his jersey, a title that he earned by completing his degree.

According to TVA Sports reporter Andy Mailly-Pressoir, the NFL has denied that request. However, Pressoir did say in his tweet that Duvernay-Tardif is hoping that the buzz of praise generated by his recent graduation would put pressure on the league to change its mind about the decision.

People were excited over the idea of seeing an NFL player with M.D. on his jersey nameplate and the people at the SB Nation blog Arrowhead Pride worked up a mock of what the jersey could potentially look like.

Duvernay-Tardif was selected in the sixth round by the Chiefs in the 2014 NFL Draft and he signed a five-year contract extension with the team in 2017 that should keep him in K.C. until 2022. According to CBSSports.com, he still has two big goals that he wants to accomplish as a football player.

 "If I make it to the Pro Bowl in the same year that I graduate from medicine ... and win the Super Bowl, then I don't know what I'm going to do," Duvernay-Tardif said earlier this year. "All my goals will be accomplished."

CBS Sports Network profiled Duvernay-Tardif for a feature back in October of last year when he was still in the process of pursuing his medical degree.