Antonio Brown is a lot of hot water, again, following his latest transgression. The controversial wide receiver has been suspended by the NFL for three games without pay for violating the joint NFL-NFL Players Association COVID-19 protocols. The suspension stems from a Tampa Bay Times report that Brown had reportedly tried to acquire a fake vaccine card before the start of the NFL season.
Bucs coach Bruce Arians defended Brown but the league clearly found that something was amiss, even if the receiver has since gotten vaccinated. This has led a lot of people to wonder what Arians and the Bucs will do with Brown, who continues to be a headache for the organization but is also one of their top receiving threats for Tom Brady.
Many are pointing to comments that Arians made when Tampa signed Brown after he served an eight-game suspension in 2020 for violating the league’s Personal Conduct Policy. Arians said at the time that if “he screws up one time, he’s gone.”
Well, Brown certainly screwed up. So is Arians about to boot Brown over his misdeeds? Not quite. According to Rick Stroud, Arians said that “nothing has been decided.”
Bruce Arians said he won’t address the Bucs two suspended players, Antonio Brown and Mike Edwards, until they return in three weeks. As for the future of those players he said “nothing has been decided.”
— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) December 3, 2021
However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that Arians is happy. “It pisses me off,” the coach said, via JoeBucsFan.com.
Mike Florio at PFT wonders if Arians might wait until the suspension is over to cut Brown and safety Mike Edwards, who was also suspended three games. Of course, both players are critical to the Buccanners’ push to return to the playoffs and defend their Super Bowl championship. Is it worth it to Bruce and the Bucs to make a statement if it means they have less of a chance to win in January?
We may find out soon enough. Both players are eligible to return on December 26. Chances are we’ll hear more from Arians before then.
[PFT]
