Tom Brady eyeing Antonio Brown to join Buccaneers: report

Now that Tom Brady has agreed to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the quarterback might have a wide receiver in mind to join him. 

According to the NFL Network, the teams pursuing Brady got the impression the 42-year-old wanted to bring Antonio Brown with him, wherever he signed. But Brown remains under league investigation following a series of troubled incidents that led to his release from the New England Patriots after just 11 days. 

As @TomPelissero and I discussed on TV, the word among teams interested in Tom Brady were among the impression that Brady wanted to bring Antonio Brown with him to a new team. Brown is still under investigation, and remains to be seen when he can play. But Brady is close with him

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 18, 2020

Brady, though, is reportedly fond of Brown, and the two share a mutual respect for each other. It is not known whether the Buccaneers would be willing to sign Brown.

Last year, Brown forced his way via trade from the Pittsburgh Steelers to the Oakland Raiders, only to be released before the start of the season. While on the Raiders, he had a number of controversial incidents — ranging from him freezing his feet in a cryotherapy treatment to holding out because he wasn’t allowed to wear his preferred helmet to threatening to fight his general manager over fines. 

When the Patriots signed him, it was seen as a coup around the league — a classic case of the rich getting richer. But Brown’s tenure in New England was ultimately cut short when Sports Illustrated reported Brown was accused of sexual misconduct, and that he later sent threatening text messages to his accuser. He was also sued for sexual assault in a separate case. 

Since then, Brown has declared that he’s done with the NFL — only to later retract that claim. He last met with the league office in November. 

In his prime, Brown was one of the best receivers in the NFL. A former sixth-round pick, the 31-year-old had six straight seasons of reaching at least 1,000 yards — including a career-high 1,834 in 2015. 

Even if Brown does not sign with the Buccaneers, Brady is still joining a talented offensive core. Tampa Bay has two elite wideouts in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin and a big, athletic tight end in O.J. Howard.