Tom Brady and Antonio Brown’s time together on the New England Patriots was brief, but the duo got pretty tight during the short span.
And when the six-time Super Bowl champion quarterback went to the Buccaneers in free agency, it was reported that Brady wanted Brown to join him in Tampa Bay.
That has become a reality, with the team signing the receiver to a one-year deal, essentially giving him one last shot to turn things around and resume his NFL career.
Coach Bruce Arians originally wasn’t keen on bringing Brown in, so reports claiming Brady was a “driving force” in the move made sense. But Sunday after the Buccaneers Week 7 win over the Raiders, Arians claimed that wasn’t the case.
And now, Brady too is denying that he pushed his coach and general manager to sign the free agent.
“Well, I’m the quarterback of the team, and that’s my role and responsibility,” Brady told Westwood One’s Jim Gray, via the Boston Globe, insisting he isn’t taking any practice reps as a general manager.
“I’m trying to do that the best way I possibly can. I do appreciate the relationship I have with (Arians) and (GM) Jason Licht. I think they know me, they know what my style is, and I have a tremendous amount of trust in them, and they’re putting the team first. They’ve gone out and done a great job getting players that help us do our job better.”
Brown certainly will make Tampa Bay better if he’s remained in playing shape, but that’s not the biggest concern with the receiver, who was released following allegations of rape and sexual assault, among a lot of other drama.
Brady is hoping his teammate will redeem himself, and his happy to see Brown getting a second chance on an NFL roster. Or is it his third or fourth chance, considering how things ended for Brown in Pittsburgh and Oakland?
“I’m just happy that he’s got another opportunity to play in the NFL. It’s a great league,” Brady said. “I love playing football, I know he does too. He’s joining a group of (receivers) who are extremely hard-working, extremely selfless.
“I think the receiver position is really a position of strength on our offense, and how Antonio fits into that is going to be up to him and the role that he can create for himself which is … which we all know of what he’s capable of when he’s playing.”
Will Brown finally get it together? We’ll have to wait and see.
