Giants’ Tate gets 4-game ban for fertility drug – ESPN

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — In yet one other blow to the New York Giants‘ receiving corps, Golden Tate has been suspended for four games for violating the NFL’s coverage on efficiency-enhancing substances, he confirmed Saturday.

Tate, who acknowledged the banned substance used to be a prescribed fertility medication, has scheduled an allure for Aug. 6 and a call is anticipated ahead of the open of the frequent season, league sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

In a press free up, Tate acknowledged he believes he has a reliable case to contain interaction his allure.

“This previous April, right through the off-season, my accomplice and I determined to interrogate a specialist for fertility planning. I started the treatment prescribed to me and good days later I found it contained an ingredient that’s on the league’s banned substance checklist,” Tate acknowledged in a press free up. “I straight away discontinued expend, I reported the distress to the Fair Administrator of the NFL Policy on Efficiency-Making improvements to Substances, and I spoke with my coaches and fashioned supervisor. I did all of this neatly ahead of a failed test used to be even confirmed.

“Per NFL protocol, an initial suspension used to be drawing conclude, but myself and the Giants organization are confident in the details, and eagerly wait for my allure to position this dead us.”

On the other hand, in step with the NFL’s coverage on efficiency-enhancing medication, it will probably perhaps well no longer be that simple. It states, “Gamers are responsible for what’s in their our bodies and a clear test may perhaps perhaps well additionally no longer be excused because a Player used to be unaware that he used to be taking a Prohibited Substance.”

The Giants had been already down two receivers after Corey Coleman (torn ACL) and Sterling Shepard (fractured thumb) suffered accidents on the first day of coaching camp on Thursday.

Coleman is probably going to omit the full 2019 season, while Shepard will likely be evaluated on per week-to-week basis with a chance of returning in time for the season opener in six weeks.

Tate used to be the Giants’ massive offseason acquisition following the trade of Odell Beckham Jr. to the Cleveland Browns. Tate signed a four-300 and sixty five days, $37.5 million deal in March after ending final season with the Philadelphia Eagles.

The broken-down huge receiver has spent the bulk of his profession with the Seattle Seahawks and Detroit Lions. He has caught 611 profession passes for 7,214 yards with 38 touchdowns and made the Pro Bowl his first season with the Lions in 2014.

Tate’s transition to the Giants had been pretty seamless. He’s anticipated to play a prime fragment in filling the manufacturing left dead by Beckham.

“He’s obtained [the offense],” coach Pat Shurmur acknowledged on Friday. “He’s appealing to scoot.”

In the future of the suspension, Tate can continue to examine with the Giants and may perhaps perhaps perchance play in preseason games.

“Change as long-established,” acknowledged Shurmur, adding that they came upon regarding the failed test after Tate had been signed and that the receiver has been factual with the personnel right through the process.

With the suspension and accidents, the Giants’ receiving corps currently is constituted of Cody Latimer, Russell Shepard, Bennie Fowler, Reggie White Jr., Alonzo Russell and rookie Darius Slayton, among others.

Slayton, a fifth-round maintain this 300 and sixty five days, is going through a hamstring wreck.

Total supervisor Dave Gettleman on Friday acknowledged the Giants would maintain a exercise Saturday for huge receivers.

“We’ll enact one thing,” Gettleman acknowledged.

On Friday, Tate had acknowledged the massive receivers room used to be “deflated” by data of Coleman’s wreck.

While with the Seattle Seahawks in 2013, Tate used to be excessive of two teammates who obtained suspensions for substance-abuse violations, calling them “egocentric.”

“You are affecting manner more than your self,” Tate told 710 ESPN Radio at the time. “I feel worship that used to be fashion of a egocentric scoot on both those guys’ fragment. But it surely is what it is a ways. The demonstrate need to scoot on and that is the explanation what we’re gonna enact.”

On Saturday, Tate acknowledged the prescribed medication did no longer present any “aggressive advantage” and that he prided himself for following the league’s protocol right through his 10 seasons.

“In the future of the entirety of my 10 300 and sixty five days profession, I in actuality contain taken giant pleasure in playing this game the factual manner, were an envoy for the NFL and contain never had any issues with the league’s coverage,” Tate acknowledged. “The treatment this previous April had no enact on the upcoming season, and I did no longer, and may perhaps perhaps well no longer contain undergone this treatment in April for any aggressive advantage.

“I deeply worship the give a desire to from the New York Giants Organization, and may perhaps perhaps well peaceful continue to maintain the most exciting level of character and integrity, while being a plod-setter in the locker room.”