Don't Be Surprised If Antonio Brown Is a Buccaneer in 2022

Certain circumstances and recent developments may lead to Brown rejoining the team for a third year.

We are just days away from receiving the answer of whether or not Antonio Brown would remain with the Buccaneers in 2021, yet don't be surprised if he is back with the team in 2022. 

It starts with Bruce Arians. Arians' 2020 statement regarding Brown was widely noted and regarded during Brown's suspension, and it was looked at as a reason why the Bucs could/should part ways with the troubled receiver. Or when talking big-picture, it could be the catalyst behind why Brown doesn't return to Tampa Bay in 2022.

But according to Arians, Brown has shown him enough in terms of good character since he joined the team. It was the reason Arian decided to stick with him despite Brown's manipulation and lies. Right or wrong, it's Arians' decision at the end of the day and like he said, he "could give a s---" what people think. 

Arians also said Monday he wasn't concerned with the potential health risk that an unvaccinated-yet-supposed-to-be-vaccinated Brown posed to him, a cancer survivor, or assistant coach Tom Moore, who's 83-years-of-age makes him much more susceptible to succumbing to the effects of the virus.

“No, I’m fine,” he told reporters.

Arians' newfound mindset leaves the door open for Brown's return in 2022. Maybe he takes Brown's trespasses more seriously than he lets on, but it doesn't look that way on the surface. Therefore, it's hard to imagine Brown's actions having an impact on his upcoming free agency stint.

The suspension itself is another reason that Brown may hang around for another year. There's a good chance other teams view Brown's three-game ban like the Bucs do -as not enough cause to be cut- but there's also a chance other teams view it as just another mark on Brown's spotty record, which could narrow his market even more than the two or three teams that were interested him during free agency in 2021.

And then finally, the Bucs' receiving corps might need him in 2022. Chris Godwin's torn ACL/MCL is going to complicate things between him and the team, most likely. If the Bucs do lose Godwin, they'll need AB just as much then as they do now. When you combine that with AB's desire to play with Tom Brady, plus the fact that he'll probably be OK with another cheap, incentive-laden contract, you can start to see the pieces come together for the final picture. Especially if Brown steps up during any potential time that Mike Evans is away from the field.

Of course there's a chance the suspension obliterated any chance of a three-peat, but actions speak louder than words and based off the Bucs' recent actions and words, it looks like that three-peat could very well happen in 2022.

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