Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Antonio Brown has been slapped with a three-game ban for misrepresenting his COVID-19 vaccine status.
The 33-year-old was alleged to have obtained a fake vaccination certificate during the summer - according to a former personal chef - and he is one of three players to have been hit with bans.
Buccaneers' safety Mike Edwards and free agent John Franklin III - who left the Super Bowl champions earlier this year - were also found to have violated NFL-NFLPA COVID-19 protocols.
An NFL-NFLPA statement read: "The health and safety of players and personnel is our top priority. The protocols were jointly developed working with our respective experts to ensure that we are practicing and playing football as safely as possible during the ongoing pandemic.
"The NFL-NFLPA jointly reinforce their commitment and further emphasize the importance of strict adherence to the protocols to protect the well-being of everyone associated with the NFL."
Brown - who has been struggling with an ankle injury for the past six weeks anyway - will be free to take to the field again on Boxing Day against the Carolina Panthers after waiving his right to appeal against the suspension.
The former Pittsburgh Steelers man won his first Super Bowl with the Buccaneers last year and boasts four touchdowns this season, as well as 29 receptions from 418 yards.
Ben Knapton
