Tom Pelissero of NFL Network that the NFL was initially considering longer suspensions for Buccaneers WR Antonio Brown and DB Mike Edwards between 6-8 games, which would have kept them out for some of the playoffs.
As it turned out, it likely should’ve been more time, just because Brown, Edwards, and free agent John Franklin got caught in an obvious lie when the NFL was conducting their investigation. Once Brown’s chef outed him on the fake vaccination card, Brown reportedly told the league he drove 80 miles to Citrus County to get vaccinated without any of his teammates present.
The NFL found out Brown was telling a lie when the vaccination cards belonging to Edwards, and Franklin said all three players were vaccinated on the same day and at the same location.
Via Tampa Bay Times:
“What ultimately tripped up Brown was that the card said he was vaccinated in Citrus County, 80 miles north of Tampa. The Bucs offered players convenient access to vaccines at their facility to comply with strict league protocols.
Brown told investigators he traveled an hour and a half to Citrus County without teammates so he would not be recognized. But when the league discovered that vaccination cards belonging to Edwards and Franklin were distributed in Citrus on the same day, their stories unraveled, the league official said.
None of the players had personal ties to Citrus County, and the likelihood that they would have been vaccinated there independently on the same day was remote.”
The fact that these players couldn’t get their story straight and figure out something beforehand just shows that money cannot buy you a brain.
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Buccaneers HC Bruce Arians said they plan to talk about their situation once their suspensions are up.
In 2021, Brown has appeared in five games and recorded 29 receptions for 418 yards and four touchdowns.
