Will Antonio Brown be with Buccaneers in 2022?
Some questioned the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' decision to sign wide receiver Antonio Brown in 2020. He had a ton of baggage attached to him and was a ticking time bomb with his ego, attitude, and pending sexual assault allegations. There is no guarantee that he could play the same way he did in his prime with the Pittsburgh Steelers either. Still, the Buccaneers saw a diamond way down in the rough and polished him into a decent rotational player in 2020.
Antonio Brown played in eight games during the season, not including a playoff run to win his first Super Bowl ring and score in the game as well. He was WR65 in fantasy football with 45 catches for 483 yards and four touchdowns. The main takeaway was that he stayed out of trouble and was focused on football, which was seen on the field. Being reunited with former Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bruce Arians and former New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady seemed to be the right gamble for all parties.
National Football League announced today discipline of three players for violating jointly developed and administered NFL-NFLPA COVID-19 protocols.
Tampa Bay's Antonio Brown and Mike Edwards have each been suspended without pay for the next three games.
Could 2021 be Antonio Brown's last season in Tampa Bay?
2021 seemed to be an even better year for Antonio Brown. He started the year off with 121 yards in the season-opener and then saw 32 targets from Week 4 to Week 6, racking up 280 receiving yards and three touchdowns. Brown became a starter for Tom Brady and the Buccaneers and a top-level streaming option in fantasy football once more.
However, we have not seen Antonio Brown on the field since Week 6 as he deals with an ankle sprain and heel injury. Tampa Bay has a well-built roster and has continued to succeed without him. He was projected to return in Week 14 as the Buccaneers prepare for the playoffs, but then AB did what AB does best...screw up.
Antonio Brown was allegedly caught with a fake COVID-19 vaccination card, which was confirmed by the NFL. Brown apparently has been breaking NFL protocol for the entire season and the league handed him a three-game suspension, which allows him to return for Week 16. He can still finish out the regular season and play a role in the playoffs, but could 2021 be his final season with Tampa Bay? Head coach Bruce Arians is "pissed" at the situation but has not made a comment on Brown's future with the team. Between that and his long-term injury this season, it's not looking good for Antonio Brown.
.@NFL345 Tampa Bay @Buccaneers head coach @BruceArians in October 2020 on Antonio Brown @AB84: “He screws up one time, he’s gone.” profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2021/12/03/bru… via @ProFootballTalk https://t.co/Zg43QpQYqh
In 2022, Antonio Brown will be 34 and entering his 13th season. He has been a shell of his former self since 2018, which was his last season where he played more than eight games and had a 1,000-yard season. He's played a pivotal role for the Buccaneers over the last two seasons, but talent only gets you so far. His attitude and misconduct can easily derail a great season on the field, which it could in this case.
Antonio Brown is set to become a free-agent after this season after signing a one-year, $3.1 million deal, further putting his future with Tampa Bay in jeopardy. The team is projected to have around $32 million in cap space next season and could easily sign a replacement for him or draft a young receiver. The fact that they went 8-3 with Brown out for the last six weeks means they don't truly rely on him as much as other teams would.
2021 will be Antonio Brown's final season in Tampa Bay, Super Bowl or not. He has had just enough misconduct and has missed enough games to have the team move on from him. He'll still be a part of the NFL in 2022, though. Several teams are could easily use Brown on their roster and would be willing to give him a chance. The New York Jets, New York Giants, and Cleveland Browns are just a few teams that make sense. Antonio Brown's career has been quite rocky and his Hall of Fame status is murky, but maybe he can salvage 2021 with one more Super Bowl ring.