A tumultuous week for New York Giants wide receiver Golden Tate ended with what amounts to a benching.
The team boarded a bus headed for Washington, D.C. on Saturday and Tate was not among those on it. Rather, he has been left behind in New Jersey after his Monday night outbursts and his wife’s subsequent rant on social media.
“Wide receiver Golden Tate is not accompanying the team on its trip to play Washington. Tate will not play in tomorrow’s game,” the team announced on their official website.
Head coach Joe Judge addressed the situation on Friday and implied further discipline could be coming.
“We still have an entire day of practice to go through today. We’ll evaluate everything and make decisions on the back end of today of what we’re going to do going through the weekend,” Judge told reporters. “I’m going to discuss a lot of possibilities today after practice.”
Tate was told to stay home on Wednesday, missing the team’s walkthrough, but returned for practice on both Thursday and Friday. However, Tate’s role was relegated to the scout team where he donned a red No. 17 jersey and simulated Washington wide receiver Terry McLaurin.
“It’s a little different,” cornerback James Bradberry acknowledged. “He gave me a good example of what I’m going to see on Sunday. Golden, he’s a veteran guy, runs good routes, just that veteran savviness to him. He knows how to get open.”
The decision to leave Tate behind makes it clear that Judge puts the team before an individual. And while Tate is obviously frustrated with his role, his decision to voice that publicly has led to serious consequences and repercussions.
The 32-year-old Tate has appeared in seven games (two starts) this season and hauled in 22 receptions for 226 yards and two touchdowns.
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