It’s going to be impossible to ignore Antonio Brown with the Buccaneers in 2021.
Some fans seem to have forgotten just how good AB is when he is on. While his off-field antics have done plenty to put a dent in his legacy, Brown is still one of the best football players of all time. After all, what is a dent in a Ferrari?
Antonio Brown was the best receiver of the 2010s. There are some all-time greats that ended their career during this decade, but Brown was still the best based on production and longevity during the decade. Whether you like him as a player or not, Brown’s nine seasons with the Steelers were good enough for the Hall of Fame on their own.
Again, this is not a discussion of Brown as a person, even though he has dramatically cleaned up his act and turned into the model teammate. This is a discussion of Brown as one of the five or ten best receivers of all time, and that will only help the Bucs this season.
Antonio Brown still has a bright future with the Buccaneers
Brown’s dominance was obviously cut short with the Steelers, but a Super Bowl ring with the Buccaneers and a few more great seasons will round out for more than enough to reach the Hall.
While Antonio Brown’s ability to make an NFL comeback has been the major story in recent months, this conversation will soon turn to Brown returning to the form that initially put him on the map. Brown is killing it in camp with the Buccaneers so far, and it is still a more than fair wager to assume he will lead the team in catches and receiving yards by the end of the season.
The Bucs already have the best receiver duo in the NFL in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, and the addition of a player like Brown in his prime would make this unit completely unfair. This trio is already the best all-time for receivers, and Brown taking a step back to his mid-2010s form would make matching this group unattainable for years to come.
Evans and Godwin should still get the majority of the reps, but if Brown’s training camp has been any indication, the Buccaneers got to keep one of the best NFL players ever in their campaign to win back-to-back Super Bowls.
2021 will just be an opportunity for AB to put even more credibility behind his name as a future first-ballot Hall of Famer.
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