Antonio Brown rejoins Tom Brady

At a time when we thought Antonio Brown would completely retire from the NFL, the year 2020 continues to surprise us.

Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Bucs will give the controversial wide receiver a one-year deal.

Schefter states that the league is still in the process of contracting the language of this deal. Brown also needs to be cleared of the COVID-19 protocols.

AB is expected to make his first debut in Week 9 of the 2020 NFL season. Brown had previously been suspended for eight games due to multiple violations of the NFL’s personal conduct policy. While the Bucs have been doing rather steady this season, AB would make an extremely valuable addition to the team. With Mike Evans playing on an ankle injury since Week 4, and Chris Godwin most recently returning from a hamstring injury, it will be good for the Bucs to have a healthier WR on the field.

Tom Brady has been pushing to have the Bucs sign for Brown since they signed him in the summer. Brown and Brady had immediate chemistry on and off the field during their short time while Brown was with the Patriots. In their first game playing together, AB had four catches going for 54 yards and a touchdown in a 43-0 win against the Dolphins. It will be interesting to see how fast this chemistry can be rekindled on the field in a Bucs uniform.

Bruce Arians, a coach for the Buccaneers had previously worked with AB while he was an offensive coordinator for the Steelers. Arians was not the biggest fan of Brown, stating that he was “too much of a diva.” Arians said that there is “not enough money to offer” Brown to have him play in Tampa and that he would not be a good fit for the Bucs.

We’ll see how this all plays out in Week 9, when the Bucs play the Saints, and AB potentially makes his 2020 NFL Season debut.