The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are all over the place right now after having to suspend two of their players for breaking COVID-19 protocols. Antonio Brown has been chaotic through the last few years and it seems he's become his own worst enemy. However, new information has come to light, revealing the real reason why Brown was suspended.
According to Mark Maske, “Antonio Brown, Mike Edwards, and John Franklin III all submitted fake vaccination cards and all three are now legitimately vaccinated.” Since the suspension became official, Brown's attorney has been vocal about the fact his client is vaccinated. It seems to be true, as Brown, Edwards, and Franklin seemingly received the vaccination. This creates a messy situation for the Buccaneers.
Antonio Brown, Mike Edwards and John Franklin III all submitted fake vaccination cards and all three are now legitimately vaccinated, according to a source familiar with the findings of the review that led to the players' three-game suspensions.
— MarkMaske (@MarkMaske) December 2, 2021
However, they still submitted fake vaccine cards to the Buccaneers and the NFL. It's likely the three broke COVID-19 protocol until they eventually received the vaccine. This seemingly became a giant waste of time for Antonio Brown and Tampa Bay. Not only did Brown get suspended, but he's also going to be down $183,000, per Field Yates.
Antonio Brown is eligible to return in Week 16 and play in Tampa Bay's final three regular season games:
At Panthers
At Jets
Vs. PanthersThe suspension will cost him about $183K in salary.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) December 2, 2021
It apparently was rather easy to find the fake vaccine cards after a second look. According to Albert Breer, the vaccine cards in question “purported to be from Citrus County, 90 minutes north of Tampa.” Because they were from the wrong area, the cards were able to be spotted as fakes.
Sources tell @AlbertBreer that Antonio Brown and his two teammates were caught because their vaccine cards purported to be from Citrus County, 90 minutes north of Tampa https://t.co/WUSXuA9Fo7
— The MMQB (@theMMQB) December 3, 2021
All of this could have been avoided had Brown, Edwards, and Franklin received the vaccine from the get-go. Instead, the Buccaneers will be without their star receiver and safety. For Brown, he was already in line to miss at least two more games. The suspension essentially gives him the time to rest his ankle and prepare for the playoffs.
Either way, the NFL has suspended Antonio Brown, Mike Edwards, and John Franklin III for submitting fake vaccine cards. Since the three are technically vaccinated, they'll be allowed to mingle with the other vaccinated players (although Franklin is a free agent).
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