NFL suspends Buccaneers star Antonio Brown for lying about coronavirus vaccination

Antonio Brown of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers ate a humble slice of cake on Thursday, served by his former personal chef.

The NFL found that the star widely acknowledged Super Bowl champions had “misrepresented” his COVID-19 vaccination status and suspended him for not paying for three games. His teammate Mike Edwards and former teammate John Franklin III were also suspended for claiming to have been vaccinated. NFL players were not required to be vaccinated, but those were not subject to strict safety regulations, and the league found that all three had failed to comply with its rules.

Brown’s former personal chef Steven Ruiz, who used to live with the footballer, has accused him of using a fake vaccination card when speaking to Tampa Bay Times in mid-November. Ruiz said Brown’s girlfriend offered the chef $500 to buy fake Johnson & Johnson vaccine cards for players, a potential federal crime. Ruiz said he refused. The NFL did not specify whether the players used fake vaccination records.

The Buccaneers have stated that every player on the roster has been vaccinated and that team management has viewed every player’s vaccination cards. Brown tested positive for COVID-19 at the start of the season and missed a game.

Brown, Edwards and Franklin face heavier penalties than the Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who has publicly said he was “vaccinated” against COVID-19 but later revealed that he had not been vaccinated. Rodgers tested positive for the virus last month and has not played since.

Brown has been suspended before. In 2019, the NFL found he had violated the league’s personal conduct policy following a series of allegations involving rape, sexual misconduct and threats against whistleblowers. he. He was released from the New England Patriots after a single game against the team.