Report: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Antonio Brown 'not close' on money in talks

The wide receiver is asking for more money than expected, according to a report.

While the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have re-signed just about every member of their Super Bowl winning-squad, one hurdle remains in free agency: Wide receiver Antonio Brown.

The Bucs and Brown have discussed a possible return that could be finalized as early as this week, but the two sides appear to be on a different page from a financial standpoint, NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported Thursday on Good Morning Football.

Garafolo noted in the report that Tampa Bay and Brown are "not close right now" in terms of the money involved in a possible extension.

"They want to bring him back, the Bucs do, just at a different number than he has in mind right now," Garafolo said.

Brown joined the Bucs late this season signing with the team in Week 8 but would start things off slowly after more than a year out of the league. However, as the season went on, Brown began to produce more on the field catching 20 passes for 266 yards and four touchdowns in the last three games of the regular season.

In the postseason, Brown missed the NFC Championship game against the Green Bay Packers due to a knee injury suffered in the Divisional Round. Brown was able to return for Super Bowl LV vs. the Kansas City Chiefs and caught five passes for 22 yards including one touchdown before halftime.

Brown played this past season on a prorated one-year deal, worth up to $2 million thanks to incentives. The original deal was $1.6 million, but Brown earned an extra $500,000 thanks to his on-field performance catching at least 45 passes recording 650 receiving yards, according to Spotrac.

The Bucs are working to re-sign Brown to a deal in the $2 million range, but Brown is looking for a market-value deal, Garafolo reported. This offseason, the veteran market for a wide receiver is somewhere between $4.5 million and $8 million, thanks to the new contracts of DeSean Jackson and T.Y. Hilton.

Hilton, who is the same age as Brown, 32, signed a one-year deal with the Colts worth $8 million, while Jackson, 34, ended up with the Los Angeles Rams on a one-year deal worth nearly $5 million.

The Bucs aren't the only team not throwing money Brown's way as multiple teams have reached out to him, but won't pay the asking price, Garafolo reported.

The Bucs have already invested a ton of money in free agency, using the franchise tag on Chris Godwin this offseason. Godwin will make $15.983 million next year.

While it appears Tampa Bay and Brown are working towards a deal, there's clearly a disconnect financially. Of course, the Bucs do have other options not only in free agency but also in this month's NFL Draft.

RELATED: Will the Buccaneers Look to Replace Antonio Brown via the NFL Draft? 

In the end, however, Brown may settle for less money if no other teams are willing to pay up and Tampa Bay is his only option.

Stay tuned to AllBucs.com for further updates on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and 2021 NFL free agency.