I don’t think anyone expected Antonio Brown to play football again. From his wild departure from Pittsburgh to his antics with the Raiders, you could see how these incidents would turn teams off. In 2019, the Patriots picked him up as a free agent. However, he only played one game with them as he was released a week later that season. For all that took place, he was suspended for the first eight games of the 2020 season. Once that suspension was lifted, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers decided to bring him in on a one-year deal. Today, the team announced they will bring the veteran wide receiver back for another year.
He may not be the guy he was back in Pittsburgh, but Antonio is still a productive receiver nonetheless. At one time, Antonio was widely regarded as the best wide receiver in this league. He has such a knack for route running and freeing himself to get open. There have been times when I’ve watched him play and he’s had multiple defenders around him. Guess what? He still made the catch despite the coverage. What’s made him so special has been his concentration, especially when he’s trying to keep himself in bounds. I don’t understand how he does it. When he makes his catches, he’s so tough to bring down in space. Many of his peers have said he bounces off people to stay up on his feet. Though Antonio isn’t the biggest guy, he plays with a big heart and goes up to get the ball.
I liked his role within the Buccaneers’ offense. He added depth to their lineup and if any of the other receivers got hurt, you can pencil him in as your first or second option and they still wouldn’t miss a beat. Tom lobbied for the team to sign him and they did. He wanted them to sign him back and look what happened. It’s still a win-now mindset for the defending champs.
