It’s been an interesting week for New York Giants wide receiver Golden Tate, and it will conclude with Tate missing the game against Washington. That’s because, after it was reported that Tate could face disciplinary action for multiple recent incidents, the team finally confirmed the punishment and the severity of it.
The team hasn’t opted to go for the softer route of not giving Tate the start but allowing him to play in the game with reduced snaps. Rather, they’ve made the decision to bench him entirely. Interestingly, Tate will be separated from the team to an extent during this time as he won’t travel with the team for the game.
Wide receiver Golden Tate is not accompanying the team on its trip to play Washington. Tate will not play in tomorrow’s game.
— New York Giants (@Giants) November 7, 2020
There’s been speculation all week that the Giants might use other receivers thanks to Tate’s antics which landed him in the doghouse with Joe Judge. But without Tate so much as being on the sidelines as an available option for this game, it looks like that path is locked in.
Tate was rumored to be on the trading block before the trade deadline but the Giants were either unwilling to move the receiver or couldn’t find a deal they liked. It also doesn’t look like Tate remaining a Giant after this season is likely thanks to both his performance on the field and his incidents relating to team rules and discipline.
On the bright side, many will look at this decision as a good call from head coach Judge, who in his first season has shown that he can run a tight ship without alienating players in the process. That’s a valuable skill going forward, especially if Judge is at the helm when the Giants start playing in and winning meaningful games once again.