TAMPA, Fla. — The mystery behind the delay in Bucs receiver Antonio Brown signing his new deal appears to have been resolved.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Brown, who agreed to a new one-year deal with Tampa Bay in April, underwent a successful clean-up procedure on his knee Tuesday. Also on Tuesday, coach Bruce Arians said on the Pewter Report Podcast that Brown hadn’t yet passed his physical due to the procedure.
“It’s just a matter of the physical,” Arians said. “He’s never had surgery in his life, so it’s just a matter of getting the physical done. I wanted him back the whole time.”
Brown, 32, initially joined the Bucs last November after serving an eight-game suspension at the start of the 2020 season for violating the league’s personal conduct policy. He had 45 catches (and four touchdowns) in eight regular-season games and caught eight passes in the playoffs, including a TD in the Bucs’ 31-9 win over the Chiefs in Super Bowl 55.
He became one of the last free agents to strike a new deal with the Bucs, who appeared to be waiting for Brown to settle a civil dispute with a former personal trainer who accused him of sexual assault and rape. A settlement was reached in mid-April, and shortly thereafter Brown agreed to a one-year contract worth up to $6.5 million to return to the Bucs.
But two days after news of Brown’s new deal broke, the Bucs selected North Texas speedster Jaelon Darden in the fourth round of the NFL draft, perhaps as an insurance policy.
Moreover, Brown’s legal problems aren’t finished. The Tampa Bay Times reported last week that Brown faces a civil lawsuit over allegations of assault and battery stemming from an altercation with a moving truck driver last year.
