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Antonio Brown had a message for the Bucs heading into the playoffs.
Before the Tampa Bay Buccaneers square off with the Washington Football Team, Antonio Brown broke his silence on Twitter with a strong message for the playoffs. Brown emphasized that his play is about “the team” in his first tweet since September 2020.
“The team. The team. The team,” Brown said on Twitter earlier this week. “Playing for the name on the front ☠️ the guys in this locker room the city of Tampa .”
Brown is coming off his best performance since arriving in Tampa notching 11 receptions for 138 yards and two touchdowns against the Falcons in Week 17. The receiver is also a little richer after hitting a $250,000 bonus for achieving 45 receptions this season, per The Athletic’s Greg Auman. Brady made sure Brown was able to achieve the additional receptions he needed in the fourth quarter to hit the benchmark. The Buccaneers quarterback discussed Brown’s impact on the team after Tampa Bay’s Week 15 victory over Atlanta.
“Obviously as a teammate, as someone who knows him pretty well, he’s done a lot of work to get to this point,” Brady explained, per ESPN. “[I’m] just proud of him and his focus, and how he’s prioritized different things. A lot of the guys in that receiver group have helped him. He’s making great contributions.”
Bucs O.C. Byron Leftwich on Antonio Brown: ‘Think He’s Being Himself’
With Mike Evans battling an injury, the Buccaneers could continue increasing Brown’s involvement in the offense, even if the star receiver plays against Washington. Brown has given Brady one more weapon to use in an already deep offensive attack. Bucs offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich praised Brown for his work both on and off the field since joining the team.
“He came in great shape,” Leftwich explained, per Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud. “I knew it’s be a couple weeks before he could stick his foot in the ground and move the way he wants to move…think he’s being himself. All I’ve ever known of him. He’s always had that energy.”
A.B. on Playing This Season: ‘It’s Been a Long Journey for Me’
Brown is starting to not only look like a receiver that can compliment the offense but someone that can be heavily relied on if needed in critical situations. It will be worth watching to see what happens with Brown this offseason as he will be a free agent and is likely to generate interest from other teams with the way he is playing.
The Buccaneers also have to take care of fellow receiver Chris Godwin who is a free agent this offseason. Brown’s civil suit is scheduled to be heard on December 6, 2021, and will be something teams have to factor in when evaluating the wideout. As for Brown, he has had limited media sessions since arriving in Tampa but reflected on what it has been like with the Bucs after he scored his first touchdown this season in Week 15.
“It’s been a long journey for me,” Brown noted, via ESPN. “As soon as I caught it, I went straight to my knees and called God and gave praise. [I’m] extremely grateful to be here with Tampa Bay and have the opportunity to live out my dream and play football — it’s something I love to do. I know not only was I excited, but I know my close friends and family and my kids are all excited for me.”
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