Bruce Arians talked a real big game last year when he ultimately bent the knee and signed Antonio Brown.
Since then, he's done basically nothing to back up his words.
Arians and Brown had a history dating back to their respective runs with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and it's a messy one. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach's sheer disdain for Brown made it seem like a longshot Brown would ever end up in Central Florida.
But, who can forget that Tom Brady has a bizarre obsession with Brown, one that allows the legendary quarterback to turn a blind eye to all of the embattled wideout's missteps? While Arians can say all he wants that Brady didn't force the Bucs to sign Brown last year, that remains exceptionally hard to believe.
He laid down the law publicly (or through reporters like FOX's Jay Glazer): Get with the program or get out.
Well, go figure, Brown didn't get with the program, and Arians isn't doing a thing about it. Who could've guessed?!
Brown was suspended for submitting a fake COVID-19 vaccination card, which, by the way, is a federal offense. The NFL banned him for three games, and Arians was predictably mum about what that meant for his future in Tampa. If Arians actually was serious about the get with it or get out drum he's been beating for 14 months, then this would've spelled the end of his time in Tampa.
Wouldn't you know it, but Brown is expected to report back to the Bucs on Monday because of course he is.
There are only two things one can take away from this development: Either Arians is a fraud, or he doesn't have nearly as much power as he seems to act like he does. If it's the former, then he looks disingenuous. If it's the latter, it suggests general manager Jason Licht or, perhaps more likely, Brady is calling the shots entirely and told him "like hell you're getting rid of Antonio."
If Arians is backing down on his word, then he needs to say that. He might look like a bozo for a moment, but at least he's owning up to it. If someone else is calling the shots, Arians would be well within his rights to say that, too. But keeping up with this schtick that he runs this tight ship and Brown needs to shape up or he'll get cut is laughable when things like the vaccination card fiasco happen.
It's an unenviable position, and for that, we can't blame Arians. Either he's going to do what he thinks is right and cut Brown or infuriate his star quarterback.
You can't make everyone happy, so the least he could do is own up to whatever the reality is. Until then, he looks like a goofball.
