Buccaneers: Shocking Antonio Brown news won’t hurt Tampa
By Rob Leeds
Antonio Brown and the Buccaneers still don’t have a problem.
In a year where the Buccaneers don’t have any time to deal with extra distractions, Antonio Brown could become the next big story in the NFL.
As the league is finally starting to move past the Aaron Rodgers fiasco, the spotlight could now shift to Tampa and star receiver Brown before the day is done.
In an article published by Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, information has come out alleging that Brown has given the NFL a fake COVID-19 vaccination card in an effort to avoid the vaccine.
The Bucs have lost their last two games against inferior opponents. A story like this is the last thing that the franchise needs, but this is likely more o a distraction than anything at this point.
While this story could easily prove to be false, this is still an extra distraction for a team that only needs to focus on dominating the Giants this Monday night. Everything else is extraneous, even if Brown is playing like one of the best wide receivers in the NFL when healthy.
As for AB, a story like this could quickly dismantle the reformed persona that he has spent so much time trying to craft. Most of the football world had forgotten about the final years in Pittsburgh and the brief stop with the Raiders, but something like this being true would be another bad mark on Brown’s record.
Hopefully this will end up being a non-story if Brown and his representation can prove that he does in fact have a vaccine, which should be easy based on current medical records beyond the cards, but there is still a chance that this could drag out and become more than it is.
The good news for the Buccaneers from a talent perspective is that Brown is not the only reason why the offense is struggling, and the injury has been the true reason why he has been out. A situation like this has little chance of getting more than a slap on the wrist, if the Rodgers mess was the precedent, but it is still an annoyance.
The Bucs are still a great team without Brown, but it is clear that Tom Brady would still like to have one of his favorite receivers back as soon as possible, and that will likely happen soon, regardless of this story.
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