On the third episode of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ “In the Current”, the signing of talented but troubled wide receiver Antonio Brown was discussed. The Buccaneers signed Brown last season reportedly on the prodding of quarterback Tom Brady, who is known to be close to the wide receiver. The Buccaneers signed Brown to a contract with a base salary of just $750,000 before their Week 9 clash against the New Orleans Saints after injuries hit some of their wide receivers. Brown last played for the New England Patriots alongside Brady in 2019 but he was cut by the team after just one game due to off-field troubles.

Brady convinced Buccaneers to sign Brown

Since then, Brown was out of the NFL for more than a year but Brady convinced the Buccaneers to give the wide receiver another chance. During the latest episode of “In the Current,” the 43-year-old Brady discussed the importance of providing impact on the life of his teammates, not just Brown. “You throw four touchdowns in a game. What’s more important, the impact you have on another person’s life or throwing four touchdowns?” Brady asked, per transcription of the show’s YouTube video.

“I think for me, it’s the impact I can make on my teammate's lives, on people that I come in contact with,” he added. In the regular season, Brown caught 45 passes for 483 yards and four touchdowns and added eight catches for 81 yards and two touchdowns in the postseason.

In their 31-9 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV, Brown caught five passes for 22 yards and a score. Seeing Brown’s value to their wide receiving corps, the Buccaneers signed the wide receiver to a one-year deal worth up to $6.25 million, including $3 million in guaranteed money, per ESPN.

Bucs asked Evans, Godwin before signing Brown

Before signing Brown, the Buccaneers top brass, led by head coach Bruce Arians and general manager Jason Licht asked their top two wide receivers about the move. Per a report by Luke Easterling of USA Today, Arians and Licht approached Mike Evans and Chris Godwin and asked them if would be open to the possibility of signing Brown.

Fortunately for the Buccaneers, both Evans and Godwin saw the need for adding Brown as he would help the injury-depleted wide receiving corps. “I said there’s no problem at all,” said Evans, who led the team with 70 catches for 1,006 yards and 13 touchdowns in the regular season. “He was very, very humble. To see him come in and carrying that weight with him and to be so humble and be really ready to work, to earn whatever role he has, it was really cool,” added Godwin, who caught 65 passes for 840 yards and 7 touchdowns in the regular season. With Brown signed for one more year, the Buccaneers now have one of the best wide receiving corps in the league as they try to defend their Super Bowl title.
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