Antonio Brown's future with Bucs in question after COVID vax card scandal: report
Bucs had announced they were second NFL team fully vaccinated, including players and coaching staff
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Antonio Brown’s future with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is reportedly up in the air after the veteran wide receiver violated the NFL’s COVID-19 protocols by using a fake vaccine card.
One source told the NFL Network on Sunday that a decision has not been made regarding Brown’s status with the team following his three-game suspension.
BUCS’ BRUCE ARIANS TRIES MOVING ON FROM PLAYERS’ VAX CARD DRAMA: ‘I DON’T GIVE A S--- ABOUT THAT’
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Another source noted to the network that the Bucs may keep Brown and safety Mike Edwards, who was also suspended for the same reason – an indication that there’s a possibility that both players may not return.
Antonio Brown of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers against the Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Dec. 20, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Brown and Edwards, along with free agent John Franklin III, were suspended for three games for violating the league’s health and safety protocols. Brown was accused in a Tampa Bay Times report last month of acquiring a fake COVID-19 vaccination card to avoid the NFL’s health and safety protocols.
Prior to the season start, the Bucs announced that they were the second NFL team to become fully vaccinated, including players and coaching staff.
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"We're 100% vaccinated, our entire organization, all the players, all the coaches, everybody," head coach Bruce Arians said at the time. "Each player will now enjoy the benefits of being able to work out and eat together. They won't have to test daily, won't have to wear masks around the facility, and won't have to quarantine following a close contact with someone who tests positive."
Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians works against the Carolina Panthers on Sept. 20, 2020, in Tampa, Florida. (AP Photo/Mark LoMoglio)
Arians addressed the media on Friday, saying that the team would "address their future" once their suspension is over.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I will not address those guys for the next three weeks," he said. "They'll just be working out. And then we'll address their future at that time. Other than that, there is really nothing to say. And I know everybody wants the other story, but we're playing the Falcons. I don't give a s--- about [the vaccination controversy]."
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Antonio Brown celebrates after catching a 1-yard touchdown pass during Super Bowl LV against the Kansas City Chiefs on Feb. 7, 2021, in Tampa, Florida. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
The Bucs will be without Brown Sunday as they take on the Atlanta Falcons, the first team to hit the 100% vaccinated mark.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fox News’ Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.