It just keeps getting worse for the New York Giants receiving corps. Two days after Sterling Shepard broke his thumb and Corey Coleman went down with a torn ACL, Golden Tate appears on his way to a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s performance enhancing substances policy.
Tate is planning to appeal the as-yet not officially announced suspension, blaming it on a prescribed fertility treatment.
“This past April, during the off-season, my wife and I decided to see a specialist for fertility planning,” Tate said in a statement released on Twitter. “I started the treatment prescribed to me and just days later I discovered it contained an ingredient that is on the league’s banned substance list,” Tate said. “I immediately discontinued use, I reported the situation to the Independent Administrator of the NFL Policy on Performance-Enhancing Substances, and I spoke with my coaches and general manager. I did all of this well before a failed test was even confirmed.”
My statement. pic.twitter.com/WzP7W4bclB
— Golden Tate (@ShowtimeTate) July 27, 2019
According to Giants head coach Pat Shurmer, Tate told the team about his suspension, but it “did not come to light” when the team signed him as a free agent.
Tate was really going to be leaned on in the New York passing offense, especially with Coleman out for the season and Shepard day-to-day with his fractured thumb. He’ll still be able to practice with the Giants and play throughout the preseason, but will be barred from joining the squad for the first month of the regular season.
Pat Shurmur says Golden Tate has been “very honest” about the pending suspension. The Giants were aware but this did not come to light until after his signing in March.
— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) July 27, 2019
The suspension will hit Tate in the wallet, costing him four game checks and a $1.75 million signing bonus. His $7.975 million guaranteed salary in 2020 is now crossed out of the deal as well.
If Shepard is not a go, the Giants have six healthy receivers currently on the depth chart. Not all of them will make the team, obviously. Slot receiver Cody Latimer is the only healthy and unsuspended starter left. The preseason reps will go heavily to Darius Slayton, a fifth round pick out of Auburn as well as Russell Shepard, Bennie Fowler and Alonzo Russell, all inexperienced free agent pick ups from last season.
