Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians said free agent wide receiver Antonio Brown won’t be joining his team following the signing of Tom Brady.
Reports previously said that Brady wanted Brown to join him on his new team after they played a grand total of one game together with the New England Patriots in 2019. The problem was, Brown was soon accused of sexual assault and the Patriots released him. Brown hasn’t played in the NFL since.
“Yeah, it’s not gonna happen,” Arians said on CBS Sports Network. “There’s no room. And probably not enough money. But it’s not gonna happen — it’s not a fit here.”
Brown’s tumultuous last 12 months began with a trade from the Pittsburgh Steelers to the Oakland Raiders, included threats to retire if he couldn’t wear the old and phased-out model of helmet he was used to, briefly swung to New England after he forced his way out of Oakland and ended with Brown in jail in early 2020.
Brown turned himself in to police in Hollywood, Florida, after a moving-truck driver accused him and his personal trainer of battery. He was granted bail and later released.
Despite all of that, NFL Network reported Brady wanted to bring Brown with him to Tampa Bay and Brown told fans on Instagram that he would sign with the Bucs “expeditiously.”
But not if Arians has something to say about it. Arians overlapped with Brown in 2010 and 2011 when Arians was the Steelers’ offensive coordinator.
“Yeah, I just know him, and — it’s not a fit in our locker room,” the coach said.
• Adam Zielonka can be reached at azielonka@washingtontimes.com.
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