Antonio Brown Suspended For Misrepresenting COVID-19 Vaccination Status
By: KDKA-TV News Staff
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Tampa Bay wide receiver Antonio Brown has been suspended without pay for three games after he misrepresented his COVID-19 vaccination status.
Browns' former live-in chef claimed the former Steeler obtained a fake COVID-19 vaccination card to skirt NFL protocols, according to a report from the Tampa Bay Times.
A review supported the allegations against Brown, the NFL announced Thursday.
Two other players, Brown's teammate Mike Edwards and free agent John Franklin III, were also suspended for misrepresenting their vaccination status, the NFL said.
All three accepted the discipline and waived their right of appeal.
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) December 2, 2021
In a statement, the Bucs said the team will continue to implement all league COVID-19 protocols.
The NFL and NFLPA said in a joint statement that "the health and safety of players and personnel is our top priority."
"The protocols were jointly developed working with our respective experts to ensure that we are practicing and playing football as safely as possible during the ongoing pandemic. 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 said.
Brown spent the first nine seasons of his career in Pittsburgh. He was signed by Tampa Bay in 2020.