"Gold jacket that man" - Kevin Durant has an Antonio Brown fanboy moment during Buccaneers vs Panthers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Antonio Brown returned to the field in Week 16 after not playing since Week 6 with an ankle injury and a suspension for forging a COVID-19 vaccination card.
On Sunday, Brown played against the Carolina Panthers in the Buccaneers' 32-6 win that handed them their first division title since 2007.
The Buccaneers are widely popular thanks to players like Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski, but Antonio Brown has one NBA superstar cheering him on as a superfan: Brooklyn Nets small forward Kevin Durant.
Tom Brady With/Without Antonio Brown this season
With Without
W-L 5-0 5-4
TD-INT 16-3 20-8
QB Rating 109.2 95.6 https://t.co/5fPoBpP8kJ
Antonio Brown was expected to have a great game on Sunday with Leonard Fournette, Mike Evans and Chris Godwin all ruled out. To Kevin Durant's delight, Brown did not disappoint.
Brown saw 15 targets and caught ten of them for 101 yards in the Buccaneers' win over the Panthers, securing the NFC South title and a playoff berth. Kevin Durant seemed to be watching the game as he posted a tweet in support of Antonio Brown during the match:
Antonio Brown has had a legendary career as a 6th round pick. Gold jacket that man
Is Buccaneers WR Antonio Brown guaranteed to be a Hall of Famer?
While Kevin Durant himself is a lock to be in the NBA Hall of Fame once he retires, you could debate Antonio Brown's claim to the NFL Hall of Fame.
Durant is correct that the Buccaneers wide receiver has had a stellar career as the Pittsburgh Steelers' former sixth-round pick in 2010. Despite not being a full-time starter until his third year, Brown had 1,108 receiving yards and 1,062 return yards in his second year despite starting just three of his 16 games played. He proceeded to lead the league twice in receiving yards, once in receptions, and once in receiving touchdowns. From 2010 to 2018, he accumulated more catches than any other player.
A few of Brown's records include being the first NFL player to have 1,000+ receiving and return yards in the same season. He's the only receiver to record five catches and 50+ yards in every game of a season (2013).
The 33-year-old wide receiver was in line to be a sure-fire Hall of Fame inductee until his relationship with the Pittsburgh organization fell apart. He forced the team to trade him to the Oakland Raiders, where he became the highest-paid receiver in the NFL at the time. However, he was released before ever playing in the regular season with the Raiders due to several off-the-field incidents.
Brown signed with the New England Patriots, where he had his first stint with now-Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady, but found himself cut after one game.
It was soon reported that he was being investigated over several sexual assault allegations. Brown became a free agent for the better part of 2019 and for a little of 2020 before joining the Buccaneers.
"Antonio Brown's immensely talented, Hall of Fame potential, but I wouldn't want to play one game with him. Not one." — @ShannonSharpe https://t.co/tpYtMpm0IL
When Brown joined the Buccaneers in 2020, no one expected him to last. But he eventually became a crucial second-string receiver on the way to his first Super Bowl ring.
In 2021, Brown is once again showing how important he is to the Buccaneers and Tom Brady's passing game. But has it been enough to make him a Hall of Famer like Kevin Durant wishes?
Antonio Brown currently ranks 25th overall with 12,265 career receiving yards. That's more than Steelers legend Hines Ward and current Hall of Famers Michael Irvin, Calvin Johnson and Charlie Joiner.
However, it is unlikely that Brown, at the age of 33, will climb into the top-20 (he would need 782 yards). If he can somehow play an entire season with the Buccaneers while either Mike Evans or Chris Godwin is out for a long period of time, he could have a chance.
As it currently stands, if Antonio Brown can remain out of the negative headlines for the remainder of his career, he will have a solid shot at the Hall of Fame. He won't be a first ballot, but he could go in after his third or fourth year of eligibility.