Getty Antonio Brown had been sidelined with an ankle injury.
Not only is it illegal to use a fake vaccine card, Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Antonio Brown could face discipline from the NFL if the league finds the star wide receiver did not submit a legitimate proof of vaccination.
Brown has maintained his innocence since the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud published a story featuring the receiver’s former live-in chef Steven Ruiz accusing Brown of submitting a fake vaccine card to the Buccaneers. NBC Sports’ Peter King reported Brown is facing a likely suspension if the NFL proves this is a legitimate claim.
“In my opinion, if Brown is confirmed to have forged his vaccine status, he should be suspended,” King detailed on November 22. “And I believe a suspension will definitely be on the table, particularly since forging a vaccination card is a federal crime.”
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Brown’s Former Chef Claims the WR Received the Fake Card From a Bucs Teammate: Report
Not only is Brown at the center of the controversy, Ruiz told ESPN’s Jenna Laine that the wideout received the fake card from a Buccaneers teammate. This means there is the potential for multiple Buccaneers players to be involved in the league’s investigation which could lead to more people than just Brown being suspended if they did indeed use fake vaccination cards.
“Ruiz said he told her he’d ‘look into it,’ but he never obtained the cards, which is not only subject to the NFL personal conduct policy but also a federal crime,” Laine detailed on November 19. “‘I was very uncomfortable,’ Ruiz told ESPN on Friday. But he said Brown obtained a card from a Buccaneers teammate.
“‘He got them from another player who was selling them,’ said Ruiz, who declined to name the player. ‘That player came over to the house multiple times. He had to get another copy of Cyd’s [Brown’s girlfriend Cydney Moreau] vaccine card because they got her birthday wrong on the first one.'”
Heading Into Week 11, the NFL Had Not Provided an Update on Their Investigation
The NFL has been quiet regarding their investigation into the card Brown submitted. Heading into the Bucs-Giants Monday Night Football matchup, Ruiz had not yet heard from the NFL.
“The NFL said last week that it would be investigating Antonio Brown’s alleged fake vaccine card,” Laine tweeted on November 22. “His former chef Steven Ruiz tells me that, as of this afternoon, the NFL has yet to reach out to him.”
The Athletic’s Greg Auman also reported that the NFL had not completed their review.
“No update on Antonio Brown. I checked with the NFL today about their review of his vaccine card — Bucs said they saw no irregularities with any player submissions — and the league has no timetable for when they’ll be finished with their review,” Auman noted on Twitter.
Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians emphasized that the team has no reason to think that Brown submitted a fake vaccination card.
“None whatsoever [an indication Brown used a fake vaccination card], we did our due diligence, the league will do theirs, and has nothing to do with the Giants game,” Arians explained during a November 19 press conference.