The NFL is upholding Golden Tate’s four-game suspension for violating the league’s Performance Enhancing Drug Policy, it announced Tuesday.
The Giants wide receiver’s suspension was first announced in late July, then the 31-year-old released a statement explaining his side of the story behind a failed drug test. Tate’s statement explained that he and his wife sought infertility treatment in April, then were both prescribed drugs to help on their quest for his wife to successfully become pregnant. Tate said that he learned shortly after beginning his part of the treatment that the drug he was taking contained an ingredient that is on the league’s banned substance list.
“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,” Tate said in the statement. “I did all of this well before a failed test was even confirmed.”
Still, the league will uphold the four-game ban and that is a decision that is going to cost Tate. The wide receiver’s four-game suspension will cost him $1.75 million in 2019 money and will also cause him to forfeit $7.975 million in 2020 guarantees.
