ByeBye 2021 – Those were the biggest NFL stories • FootballR

The 2021 NFL calendar was full of twists and turns and surprises. Now that 2022 is just around the corner, it’s time to review the top 10 events of the year.

10. Antonio Browns Impfausweis

Brown seemed to leave his drama in the past when he signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020. The 33-year-old stayed out of the limelight while helping the Bucs win Super Bowl LV and quietly re-signed with the team in April 2021, but it was only a matter of time before “AB” got back showed up.

On November 18, Brown’s former personal chef – who sued him for unpaid work – alleged the star wideout presented a fake COVID-19 vaccination card to Tampa Bay to circumvent NFL rules. Brown’s attorney denied this claim, stating that the receiver was fully vaccinated.

The league investigated the matter and two weeks later imposed a three-game suspension against Brown and two other players for incorrectly reporting their vaccination status. Brown’s attorney protested his client’s innocence but declined to appeal the NFL’s sentence.

9. Cam Newton returns to Carolina

From 2011-19, Newton was the inimitable, charismatic face of the Carolina Panthers. That changed in 2020 when Carolina hired a new coach, Matt Rhule, who fired Newton while he was recovering from an injury.

Newton eventually accepted a one-year contract with the New England Patriots, signing for a second year in 2021. But when New England surprisingly fired him at the end of the preseason, Newton faced an uncertain future in the league.

The former MVP waited two months for a call and watched from a distance as the teams signed and tried out various quarterbacks. Finally his phone rang and a familiar number appeared on the screen. On November 11, the same team that Newton had fired two years earlier took him under contract as injury replacement for Sam Darnold.

Three days later, the Panthers’ best passer made his season debut and scored two touchdowns against the Arizona Cardinals in the first quarter. As befits Newton, he made his debut by shouting into the cameras, “I’m baaaaaack!”

8. 49ers exchange 3 first round picks for the number 3

Five years ago, John Lynch shocked the NFL world when he acquired quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo from the Patriots for a second-round pick before the trade deadline. Garoppolo led the San Francisco 49ers to Super Bowl LIV and won 22 of their first 30 starts, but injuries ruined their 2020 season and caused the team to look for alternatives.

A month before the 2021 draft, Lynch pulled the trigger on what was promising to be a career-defining trade: He agreed to give three first-round picks to the Miami Dolphins to get number 3 in the 2021 NFL Draft. The 49ers chose Trey Lance, a still rough passer with good physical ability.

“From day one we were very open with Jimmy,” said Lynch after the draft. “When I went to Jimmy’s, I was telling him the truth. We made the decision that we will look for a quarterback this season. You know Jimmy, when you’ve played you’ve been great and your record speaks for it. We feel that there is still room for growth. The biggest problem is that it’s hard to keep you in the field. “

Garoppolo should also be the starter in 2021, but is likely to move on in 2022.

Photo: IMAGO