CHICAGO — The attorney for Sam Hurd said Friday that his client had never sold drugs to other NFL players, hoping to put any rumors to rest as the wide receiver without a team prepares to fight federal drug charges that could put him in jail for 40 years.

Less than an hour after Hurd was cut by the Chicago Bears, defense attorney Brett Greenfield told reporters that his client planned to fight the charges and wanted one thing made clear.

“Sam has asked me to address one point, with respect to the rumors that Sam has been supplying drugs to other members of the NFL, out of respect to the NFL, out of respect to teammates and out of respect to other players, he 100 percent denies that allegation,” Greenfield said. “It is patently and totally false. It just didn’t happen.”

League spokesman Brian McCarthy said the NFL was closely monitoring the situation. Asked about a report that authorities have a list of NFL players with ties to the drug case, McCarthy said: “We are not aware of such a list.”