Antonio Brown’s enigmatic career seemed completely over, but like Phoenix, the receiver rose from the ashes with little help.
After essentially forcing himself out of the Pittsburgh Steelers, he reached the Oakland Raiders at the time, where before even playing an official game, he repeatedly complained about his helmet and fell out with general manager Mike Mayock. The Raiders were fed up and, after positive pressure from Tom Brady, the New England Patriots gave the catcher another chance.
Then came the accusations of sexual harassment, and the Patriots decided to reduce it. In fact, even for that episode, the NFL decided to suspend him for the first eight games of the season.
A train wreck was more subtle than Brown’s incredible list of problems in recent years.
The fights with his former personal chef, the screams with the police in the eyes of the public, the outbursts on social networks and the burned legs from too much cryotherapy seem just ornaments in the middle of the tumultuous years that made us think of a Brown at that time. in poor health.
We care about him, and his NFL career seemed like a thing of the past. Not because he lacked talent, because he had enough, but because his “maturity” left much to be desired.
Few players have more influence than Brady, who now owns the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a second win in club history.
When the defender raised his hand, the arrival of Rob Grownkowski became a reality, and when he put his reputation back on Brown’s line, Tampa Bay made an unpopular decision to hire him and give the catcher another chance.
“I believe in a second chance,” said Bruce Arians, head coach of the Buccaneers.
Rather, he is the fourth or fifth in the NFL for Brown, who seems to have realized that the opportunity the buccaneers offered him seemed to be his last.
Brady opened the doors of his house, and Brown lived with the quarterback for a few days.
The Buccaneers had one of the deepest reception groups in the NFL, but they saw Brown as “a high-ceilinged insurance policy.”
At the time, both Chris Godwin and Mike Evans were battling injuries, and the fact that Brown had him on the catwalks for the second half of the season brought relief to Tampa Bay, as long as he had no extra-sporting problems.
In fairness to Brown, who has been criticized several times, this has not happened.
Brown was a model citizen and understood that he had one more chance, thanks to his strong and influential friend. In response to that confidence, Brown, a seven-time Pro Bowl selection, led the Buccaneers in passing to him in the last five weeks of the regular season, with 45 receptions for 483 yards and four touchdowns in eight games.
Brown managed to play only 27 games in the divisional round against the New Orleans Saints, with a knee injury that caused him to miss the NFC championship game, but after much treatment, the signs are positive and hopefully he can. Kansas City Chiefs.
The Buccaneers were so impressed with Brown’s behavior that they had reached a one-year deal that they have already expressed interest in returning him next season.
Due to its troubled history, future transactions will remain in force for a year and full of conduct clauses, but the mere fact that Brown has a chance to play a Super Bowl should come as a surprise.
Personally, he was convinced that his NFL career was over, but the Buccaneers contacted him and now he has the chance to win his first ring, which he was denied in his first season, when he reached the Super Bowl with the Steelers.
“I know this is my last chance. It’s the last one and I intend to take advantage of it, “said Brown.