After the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ 45-20 blowout victory over the Raiders in Las Vegas, head coach Bruce Arians talked to reporters about the team’s signing of wide receiver Antonio Brown.
Brown is serving an eight-game suspension for violating of the NFL's personal conduct policy, but Arians said the troubled wideout has “matured.” It was shocking that the Bucs ended up signing Brown, especially after Arians said in March that he wasn’t “a fit in our locker room.”
Arians also made it clear that Bucs quarterback Tom Brady didn’t push for the team to sign Brown, even though many suspect that the future Hall of Famer offered his input in adding Brown after they developed a relationship during their short time together in New England.
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"I think he's matured, and I believe in second chances," Arians said of Brown on Sunday, via ESPN. "Everybody wants to say that Tom picked him. Tom didn't have anything to do with it. This was something Jason and I had been talking [about] for a couple weeks, ever since the injuries to our other guys. When the time was right, would we see if we could pull the trigger and fit him into what we want to get done. And we'll see. If Antonio does what I think he's gonna do, I think he's going to be fine."
Brown is eligible to join the Buccaneers after Week 8, but the NFL can further discipline him depending on the developments in the civil sexual assault lawsuit pending against Brown. The lawsuit was filed in Sept. 2019 by Britney Taylor, and it is expected to go on trial in December.
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Arians said the Bucs will be paying close attention to the case.
“Let the court system do its job,” Arians said. “If it’s found out to be true, he won’t be with us.”
It will be interesting to see how things play out the rest of the season with Brown and the Buccaneers.