Is Antonio Brown playing today against the Bears?
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Antonio Brown is out for his team's game against the Chicago Bears on Sunday.
#Bucs coach Bruce Arians ruled out several starters: TE Rob Gronkowski (ribs), WR Antonio Brown (ankle), LB Lavonte David (ankle), CB Richard Sherman (hamstring).
The wide receiver suffered an ankle injury late in the game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday Night Football back in Week 6. The extra days of rest were not enough for the star receiver to be healthy to play this Sunday.
While the Buccaneers have many great receiving options available for Tom Brady, losing Brown hurts the offense overall.
Brown's 418 receiving yards are the second-most team - two yards shy of Mike Evans and nine more than Chris Godwin. Considering how strong the Bears' defense is, Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady will have work cut out trying to get the offense going.
Brown has amassed 280 receiving yards over the last three games and seems to be back in his elite form from his days with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Unfortunately for Buccaneers fans, he will not be available on Sunday.
This will be the second game that Brown will miss this season after sitting out of his team's Week 3 clash against the Los Angeles Rams due to COVID-19.
How much time will Brown miss?
The exact severity of Brown's ankle injury is unknown, but it is unlikely he will miss more time after the game against the Browns. The receiver did not practice during the week, but there is no indication that he has a severe high ankle sprain.
The only official word is that the wide receiver will not play in Sunday's game against the Bears. It is worth noting that the Buccaneers have a game on October 31st against the New Orleans Saints in Week 8 and have a bye week after. If they want to be cautious, the Buccaneers can keep Brown out until Week 10, when they face the Washington Football Team.
A sprained ankle is a common injury in the NFL, and recovery time depends on the severity of the injury.
Who will take Brown's place in the Buccaneers' starting lineup?
Second-year wide receiver Tyler Johnson will probably step into Brown's role.
The Buccaneers have run 11 personnel with 3 WR sets 69% of the time, 8th highest in the league.
Only three WRs on their active roster for Sunday have played more than 4 snaps:
Mike Evans / Chris Godwin
And
TYLER JOHNSON
https://t.co/FUDOQQMyV5
Brady spoke glowingly of Johnson ahead of the game against the Bears. During his media availability, the quarterback said:
Tyler has done a good job. Everyone has a lot of confidence in Tyler. He does a good job out here whenever he gets his chance, and he's made a bunch of plays in games. It's certainly not too big for him, and I think he's got a good attitude, a good work ethic. We've just got to keep all trying to get better together.
The Bears vs. Buccaneers game will kick off at 4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday.