The New York Giants might be without another receiver to begin the season.
Golden Tate is appealing a four-game suspension for violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing substances, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported.
ESPN first reported the news.
Tate released a statement Saturday stating that the suspension is the result of a prescription from a fertility specialist. He asserted that upon learning the drug contained an ingredient on the league's banned substance list, he immediately reported the situation himself to the NFL prior to knowing he failed a test.
Giants coach Pat Shurmur told reporters Tate has been "very honest" about the pending suspension, while noting the organization was not made aware of the situation until after he was signed. The 10th-year veteran stands to lose a little more than $1.75 million in signing bonus, base salary and roster bonus forfeitures, and he'd also relinquish the full guarantees on $7.975 million for 2020, NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported.
On the field, Tate's absence would be another massive blow to a receiving corps that has been decimated of late. On Thursday, Sterling Shepardsuffered a fractured thumb that could sideline him for the beginning of the season, and Corey Colemansuffered a torn ACL.
Of course, the biggest loss came in March when the Giants unexpectedly dealt Odell Beckham to the Cleveland Browns. That move prompted New York to sign Tate to a four-year, $37.5 million deal. The veteran wideout caught 74 passes last year for the Lions and Eagles, this after tallying at least 90 receptions the previous four seasons in Detroit.
Big Blue could be leaning on rookie Darius Slayton more than it ever anticipated after selecting him in the fifth round of the 2019 draft. He's joined in camp by seldom-used veterans Cody Latimer and Bennie Fowler.
The Giants on Saturday later signed Amba Etta-Tawo and T.J. Jones. Etta-Tawo was a member of Big Blue's practice squad in 2018 before playing for the AAF's Birmingham Iron this past spring. Jones racked up 64 catches for 814 yards and four TDs in five seasons with the Detroit Lions. In a corresponding move, New York put Coleman on injured reserve and waived kicker Joey Slye.
Notable names still on the free-agent market include Kelvin Benjamin and former go-to targets Michael Crabtree, Dez Bryant, Pierre Garcon and Mike Wallace.
