Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians remains unsure about what to do with wide reciever Antonio Brown.
Brown’s three-game NFL suspension will end after the team’s Week 15 game against the Saints. Brown was suspended Dec. 2 for violating the league’s COVID-19 protocols. An investigation conducted by the NFL and the players association found that Brown was one of three Buccaneers players who misrepresented their vaccination status. Safety Mike Edwards and wide reciever John Franklin III were the others. According to the Tampa Bay Times’ reporting, Brown obtained a fake vaccination card over the summer.
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Speaking with reporters after practice Monday, Arians shared his thoughts on Brown’s possible return.
“I haven’t made a determination yet,” he said during media availability, per the Times’ Rick Stroud. “We’ll see how it goes.” Arians said the Bucs will further discuss the subject as an organization.
Arians says “we’ll talk as an organization,” about the return of Antonio Brown and Mike Edwards. “When we know, we’ll let everyone know.”
— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) December 13, 2021
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Arians has declined to comment on the players’ future within the organization since the suspensions were announced. He told reporters about a day after Brown’s suspension that “nothing has been decided.”
Brown last played in the Buccaneers’ 28-22 victory over the Eagles on Oct. 14. He had 29 catches for 418 yards and four touchdowns for the season before suffering an ankle sprain in Philadelphia. He has missed the Buccaneers’ last seven games, counting his suspension. He was suspended ahead of the Buccaneers’ 30-17 win over the Falcons on Dec. 5. Brown will be eligible to return to practice next week ahead of the Buccaneers’ game vs. the Panthers on Dec. 26.
The Buccaneers (10-3) lead the AFC South by four games as they prepare to host the Saints (6-7) in their fifth prime-time matchup of the season.
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