National Football League

Antonio Brown returns to Bucs' lineup after three-game suspension

Published Dec. 21, 2021 2:57 p.m. ET

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were forced to play the majority of their 9-0 loss to New Orleans on Sunday without their top three receivers.

They lost two components of their "Big 3" early on in the matchup. Chris Godwin exited for good after taking a massive lower-body shot from New Orleans' P.J. Williams early in the second quarter. On the Bucs' next possession, Mike Evans was lost for the game after sustaining a hamstring injury while elevating to make a contested grab.

But the third member of the Bucs' star-spangled trifecta did not suit up for the contest at all — and for a vastly different reason.

Antonio Brown served the back end of his three-game suspension Sunday night, after being banned for a violation of the NFL-NFLPA Covid-19 protocols. Brown received the punishment after it was revealed that he'd been using a fake vaccination card to mislead the league on his vaccination status.

Brown was one of three players (Bucs defensive back Mike Edwards and free agent WR John Franklin III) who was punished in the revelation, which came to light after Brown's former chef alleged that he'd obtained a doctored card.

Following Brown's suspension, head coach Bruce Arians refused to say if he would be allowed to rejoin the team. But this past Friday, he revealed that he'd come to a decision on the wideout's status, but that he wouldn't reveal it prior to their Sunday outing.

"It's just a matter of making a statement and whether I do it before this game or after, we'll wait and see," Arians said. "But I don't want anything distracting from this game."

Monday, Brown posted a photo to his Instagram story inside of Tampa Bay's stadium, signifying that he'd in fact reunited with his squad.

A source also told NFL Network's Ian Rapoport that both Brown and Edwards had been a part of team meetings and worked out inside the facility during their suspension.

"The only thing I care about is this football team ... and what's best for us," Arians explained in further detail on Monday. "I could give a s--- what [people] think."

Brown's presence will undoubtedly raise a slew of questions, especially given Arians' statement last year just after signing him: "If he screws up one time, he's done."

Said Arians on Monday, "History has changed since that statement."

Tampa Bay is in need of all the help it can get at its skill positions. On Monday, MRIs revealed that Godwin would miss the remainder of the season with a torn ACL, while Evans is week-to-week with his hamstring ailment.

The team also lost Leonard Fournette on Sunday and he's expected to miss a few games with a strained hamstring. Receiver Breshad Perriman is one of the team's latest additions to the COVID-19 reserve list as well.

And because of the Bucs' increasingly populated injured list, Brown's reinstatement, though controversial, is not surprising for many.

Shannon Sharpe is one of the many, and for him, Brady is the main reason AB's back in action with the Bucs.

"Bruce Arians is rewarding Antonio Brown for being a good teammate," Sharpe said on Tuesday's episode of "Undisputed."

"I didn't know that we reward people for doing what they should do. He's rewarding him for working hard, for being timely, being prompt. You see how low-bar that is? Tom Brady said, ‘I want him.’ You think Rob Gronkowski would've been allowed to come back in New England? Tom Brady is about winning. … AB is on this roster because of TB12."

In Skip Bayless' mind, however, Arians should've laid down the law on Brown.

"It's not a great look for the Buccaneers or TB12," Bayless said.

"I think it's a huge deal. It's a bad precedent. … In the end, Brady had to say, 'No Bruce, we’ve got to keep him now.' I thought Bruce had to send a message to the locker room, that this is one line you do not cross."

Arians' focus is clearly fixated on the team's on-field product, and Brown aids that tremendously.

Brown's had at least one TD grab in three of his five games with T.B., while the team is undefeated with him in the lineup (5-0). He leads all Bucs receivers with 83.6 receiving yards per game and is second in targets per contest with 8.4.

Meanwhile, the Bucs are averaging 34.2 points per game when Brown plays, as opposed to 26.6 when he doesn't. Tom Brady also has 326.6 passing yards per game with a 108.02 QB rating when Brown lines up beside him. Without him, those numbers drop to 302.3 YPG and a 93.82 passer rating.

This much is clear: Brown helps the Bucs win football games.

And given Tampa's recent string of injury troubles, winning –– and Brown's presence –– is paramount