Getty Antonio Brown, of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, celebrates a touchdown against the Miami Dolphins during the second quarter at Raymond James Stadium on October 10, 2021 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
The Green Bay Packers are already solid, and then some, at the wide receiver position — but that doesn’t mean their situation can’t improve.
The team will fight this postseason to win a Super Bowl Championship and prove to quarterback Aaron Rodgers that the best prospects for the remainder of his career reside with the Packers in Green Bay. Adding more talent to his offensive arsenal following a strong postseason run would do even more to demonstrate the truth behind that assertion.
The odds of the Packers keeping Rodgers and competing for more titles in the future would almost certainly rise with the addition of an All-Pro talent at wide receiver to pair alongside one of the league’s best in Davante Adams. That is exactly the position the Packers are in with now-former Tampa Bay Buccaneers wideout Antonio Brown (AB), according to an online resource for professional sports gambling known as Odds Shark.
In fact, it is possible Brown could even contribute to the Packers’ title chances this season, should they decide to sign him. The wideout has made public claims that his ankle is hurt and he needs surgery, using the allegations of injury and Tampa Bay’s alleged mismanagement of it to explain his erratic sideline behavior last Sunday and his subsequent unceremonious dismissal from the Bucs organization.
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Tampa Bay management, on the other hand, has accused Brown demanding $2 million in contract incentives to be guaranteed before season’s end, adding that the team’s refusal to renegotiate with the player mid-season caused Brown’s meltdown and the ultimate parting of ways just two weeks before the start of the NFL Playoffs.
The Money Says Green Bay has Best Shot to Land AB Next Year
GettyQuarterback Aaron Rodgers (right), of the Green Bay Packers, celebrates a touchdown with Davante Adams (left), against the Tennessee Titans during the third quarter at Lambeau Field on December 27, 2020 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Per the Odds Shark website, Green Bay leads all franchises in the probability of landing Brown at +500, according to odds provided by Bovada. The Seattle Seahawks rank second in the early going at +650, while the Baltimore Ravens round out the top three with odds of +850 to ink AB to a deal next season.
Of course, to be fair, those are just the odds of a team signing the wideout. The actual odds-on favorite for AB’s immediate future is that he will not be on a roster to start 2022. Those odds were coming in at -400 just a few hours after the wide receiver hit the free agent market Thursday.
“The heavy favorite here is for Brown to not be on an NFL roster to begin next season. Part of that, we suppose, will come down to the health of his ankle and if it truly requires surgery or not,” the Odds Shark Staff wrote Thursday. “But all else being equal, we find it hard to believe Brown won’t be on an NFL roster next season if he wants to be.”
“Despite the drama dating back several years with several teams, Brown is still a quality player when healthy,” the article continued. “And in the NFL, talent trumps all.”
Brown’s History of Issues Could Complicate His Finding a New Home
GettyWide receiver Antonio Brown is no longer a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The embattled and volatile wideout made an explosive exit from the Bucs’ sideline last weekend against the New York Jets. The team released Brown on Thursday, January 6, rendering him a free agent.
Brown, who became a Super Bowl champion just last season, has been in the league for 12 years but played in just 16 regular season games over the previous three. In only seven appearances for the Bucs in 2021, Brown caught 42 balls for 545 yards and 4 TDs, per Pro Football Reference. He also caught 5 passes for 22 yards and found the end zone once against the Kansas City Chiefs on the Bucs’ way to a 31-9 Super Bowl LV rout of the defending champions last February.
There is no doubt that Brown, a seven-time selection to the Pro-Bowl and a four-time All-Pro player, can help an NFL team with his on-field production. He’s already shown it several times over this season alone.
The question is whether his attitude and off-field antics are worth the risk. For a full regular season, the answer may well be no. But for a playoff push that requires he be on his best behavior for three games, that answer may be a yes — especially from a team like the Green Bay Packers, which has almost as much to lose this offseason as it does to win.