Golden Tate has been benched for the weekend.
The New York Giants wide receiver will not travel with the team for its Week 9 game at Washington, NFL Network's Kim Jones and NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported. The organization later confirmed Tate is not making the trip and thus will not play Sunday.
Tate's demotion is the result of the team taking exception to his overall effort and performance, Jones added. It caps off a week filled with tension between the two sides. Tate was seen shouting toward his own sideline during Monday night's loss to the Buccaneers. Later in the week, his wife posted critical messages about the Giants on Instagram that have since been deleted, while Tate reportedly liked a tweet suggesting his release. The former Pro Bowler did not practice Wednesday and spent the next two practices working with the scout team.
Rapoport reported Tate was available before this past Tuesday's trade deadline. The 11th-year veteran still has two years and more than $14 million left on his deal.
His recent production alone wouldn't make him an easy sell. Tate has 22 catches for 226 yards and two touchdowns on the season, with just four receptions in the past three games. He's been out of the starting lineup since Week 3.
