Why hasn't Antonio Brown signed his new Bucs deal?
Super Bowl-winning wide receiver Antonio Brown reportedly agreed to a one-year deal to return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last month. However, he has yet to officially sign the contract because he hasn’t passed his physical yet.
Tampa Bay head coach Bruce Arians revealed the news on the Pewter Report podcast on Tuesday and also said that Brown was getting his knee scoped.
“He has to pass the physical," Arians said. "He hopefully will have a scope on Tuesday, getting his knee cleaned up, and everything will work out fine."
While Arians didn't sound too concerned about the deal falling through, it’s another episode in the long-running Antonio Brown off-field drama.
Legal issues return for Antonio Brown
Last week, yet another lawsuit was filed against Brown for his role in an altercation with a truck driver back in January 2020. Truck driver Anton Tumanov is seeking over $30,000 in damages, with the civil suit stating that Tumanov suffered severe bodily injuries and mental anguish as a result of the incident.
Brown pleaded no contest to one felony burglary with a battery case and two lesser misdemeanor charges related to the incident.
The new lawsuit comes one month after Brown settled his civil suit with his former personal trainer, who accused him of sexually assaulting her in 2017 and 2018.
Bucs don’t seem worried
Tampa Bay general manager Jason Licht told JoeBucsFan.com that he believes Brown will sign his deal on Monday.
The organization has shown extreme faith in the controversial wideout despite his many off-field incidents and seems confident that since Brown has already been punished for his past legal issues, he won’t be suspended again this year by the NFL.
The team brought Brown in at the request of star quarterback Tom Brady, who shares a close friendship with the wide receiver.
Brown can still deliver on the gridiron
Antonio Brown has proven that he’s still a productive player on the field. He played in eight games last season, catching 45 passes for 483 yards and four touchdowns. He also caught a touchdown during the Bucs' Super Bowl win over the Kansas City Chiefs.