National Football League

All Eyes on Antonio Brown's NFL Return

Updated Jul. 14, 2021 4:34 p.m. ET

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By Martin Rogers

The latest chapter of the Antonio Brown saga is so intriguing because there are a number of ways this experiment could play out.

We have seen the upside of Brown’s career, the electrifying, highly-productive years with the Pittsburgh Steelers, building himself into the league’s best receiver and a big enough star to grace the cover of Madden.

Those memories, that implied potential, is why he has a chance now with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and why, in one of the odder stories of the season, Tom Brady invited Brown to come and live at his house. At his best, Brown has the explosiveness, playmaking and creativity to take the 6-2 Bucs and give them genuine hope of a deep postseason run.

But Brown’s checkered path, not even including the off-field troubles that I’ll touch upon momentarily, has also provided a glimpse of how things could go in Central Florida – and why a swift, regret-filled exit would be far from a surprise.

Brown’s stint with the Las Vegas Raiders, then still based in Oakland, lasted six months, accrued $54,000 in fines for missed team activities, and resulted in not a single minute of NFL action. His subsequent time with the New England Patriots, where he and Brady first connected, lasted just one game.

This weekend, the Bucs take on the New Orleans Saints and all we can do is sit back and watch what could become one of the most compelling adventures of the campaign or a vat of nothingness that is forgotten in a few weeks.

Amid it all is the reality that there are troubling narratives at play. Brown’s return to the National Football League cannot be treated as a football story alone, because it isn’t. It is the tale of an extraordinarily talented player who is now on his fourth team in 20 months and has recently attracted focus for all the wrong reasons.

Within the past year, Brown has twice been accused of sexual misconduct, with one of the accusers suing him in a civil lawsuit due to go to trial in December. He is also on probation for felony burglary following an incident in January involving a Florida moving truck company employee, which prompted his Pats release.

And yet, there he is with Brady, smiling in the Florida sunshine, joking with his new teammates and even wearing a TB12 branded cap on social media.

"In this incidence we are being negligent if we don’t at least acknowledge and discuss why this is so odd and why, at least for me, it is so shocking," FS1’s Nick Wright told First Things First, when news of Brown staying with Brady and his family in Tampa broke. "It is beyond shocking to me that Tom Brady, who has a pretty sterling reputation, continues to attach himself to someone that he doesn’t have a long-standing relationship with.

"He’s not only vouching for this guy to join the team, but he is saying 'come live with me.' That is the part of this that I can’t figure out."

In Tampa, all the right noises are being made. Brady believes Brown deserves a shot at redemption. The iconic QB had lobbied for the Bucs to sign Brown since he joined the franchise and got his wish after the receiver’s eight-game NFL personal conduct suspension expired. Brady has also introduced Brown to life coach Tony Robbins, who has imparted some of his guidance.

"I’ve just watched (Antonio) for a long time," Brady told reporters. "I’ve seen him as a player and then gotten to know him as a person. I enjoy playing football, obviously, but relationships are very important to me.

"All the guys I’ve played with over the years, you just have a strong connection with and you just want to see everyone achieve their best. When you see people achieve things and they put their effort into certain things and it pays off and it’s really rewarded, I think that’s what life is about."

Brown has never lacked confidence and says he now has more perspective than ever before. Having nearly lost his career, he is thankful for what might be his best, and final chance to save it.

Even then, he is well aware there will be many who are highly skeptical of his capacity to change – and who may not be wishing him well.

"Hopefully I can change their perspective," Brown said. "Being here, around great people in a great organization, hopefully I can win them over in my actions in how I move forward and how I handle my business."

No matter what, for now at least, Brown is going to be quite the story. Whether it is a feel-good comeback page-turner, or the continuation of a fall from grace, will soon be seen.

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Martin Rogers