The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were quite proud to be one of the first teams with a purported 100-percent vaccination rate before the start of the 2021 NFL season. As it turns out, they were not.
Two Buccaneers players — Antonio Brown and Mike Edwards — were suspended by the NFL this week after it was determined that they lied about their vaccination status.
Thursday’s suspensions led to a Sept. 2 tweet from the NFL going viral. In the old tweet, the league praised the Bucs after head coach Bruce Arians said the team was 100 percent vaccinated.
— Freezing Cold Takes (@OldTakesExposed) December 2, 2021
Brown’s agent has repeatedly said that the star receiver is vaccinated. That’s probably true now, but it wasn’t at one point. It’s unclear when Brown did get the COVID-19 vaccine.
Brown may have gotten away with lying about his vaccination status had he simply paid his debts. The NFL’s investigation began after Brown’s former personal chef — who claims Brown owed him money — shared information about Brown obtaining a fake vaccination card. Arians was quick to defend Brown after the allegations surfaced, so it seems like the Bucs were genuinely fooled.
Photo: Oct 14, 2021; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Antonio Brown (81) against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
