Antonio Brown has been suspended for three games for misrepresenting himself as a vaccinated player, which he allegedly did with a fake vaccine card.
According to the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Brown will not appeal his suspension.
As cited by ESPN, the NFL and players union also released a statement regarding the incident.
“The NFL-NFLPA jointly reinforce their commitment and further emphasize the importance of strict adherence to the protocols to protect the well-being of everyone associated with the NFL,” the statement read.
Brown was already reportedly not going to play the next two games for the Bucs because of an ankle and heel injury that he sustained in Week 7.
The saga began after the Tampa Bay Times published a piece in which Brown’s former private chef alleged that Brown’s girlfriend asked him for fake vaccination cards. Brown denied those claims at the time, and the Bucs stood by their star receiver. Screenshots of the text conversation between former chef Steven Ruiz and Brown’s girlfriend show her asking him when he would be getting the fake vaccination cards for them.
Ruiz reportedly came forward with this information because Brown owed him and his food company $10,000 and felt like he would have only lost money if he tried to sue the NFL player.
“We appreciate the League’s timely handling of this matter and recognize the importance of the health and safety protocols that have been established,” the team said in a statement.
