The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are expected to re-sign Antonio Brown soon, per Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud. Brown is the lone key player from the Bucs’ Super Bowl run who remains unsigned, but a recent resolution to a civil dispute may give the team the green light to bring back the star receiver.
“With the Antonio Brown civil action settled, look for the Bucs to re-sign the veteran receiver soon,” Stroud detailed on Twitter.
It appears a resolution is in sight after months of uncertainty surrounding his future. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported earlier this month that the two sides were far apart in negotiations. Nothing is certain until Brown officially re-signs, but Stroud’s report indicates the receiver is close to inking a new contract.
“The civil dispute between Antonio Brown and Britney Taylor has been settled, per his rep Alana Burstyn, founder and owner of OFM, a national talent and sports management firm,” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweeted.
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A.B. on His Future: ‘I Would Love to Come Back & Give It Another Shot at a Two-Peat’
After the Super Bowl, Brown made it clear that his desire was to come back to Tampa. As free agency progressed, Brown’s future became more uncertain given the Buccaneers had re-signed other players in short order.
“Man, I would love to,” Brown told reporters after the Super Bowl. “I look forward to go through the process. This is a great spot here for me, and I would love to come back and give it another shot at a two-peat and doubling back.”
Taylor’s Attorney on Settlement: ‘The Time Has Come to Move on’
Stroud reported the Buccaneers are expected to “move quickly” to re-sign Brown now that there is a legal resolution in his case. Brown’s former trainer Britney Taylor accused the receiver of sexual assault and rape. Taylor’s attorney David Haas released a statement noting, “the time has come to move on.”
“Antonio and Britney have been friends for over a decade,” Haas told Tampa Bay Times. “Several years ago, they almost became business partners. Recently, they were involved in aggressive litigation. Having reflected on that relationship, both feel that the time has come to move on. Antonio is grateful for Britney’s excellent training assistance. They are pleased that Antonio is doing so well with the Bucs and has a [Super Bowl] ring. Their dispute is resolved and they wish each other great continued success.”
Licht on Brown’s Future: ‘We’ll Continue to Have Talks & See Where It Goes’
Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht conducted his draft press conference hours after news of Brown’s legal resolution were released. Licht remained coy when asked about Brown’s future with the team.
“We’ve put an emphasis on bringing back players, our players from last year that contributed to our success, and he would be no different,” Licht noted. “So, we’ll continue to have talks and see where it goes.”
Licht denied the idea that Brown’s legal case was the major hold-up in signing the free-agent receiver. The Bucs GM admitted it does help provide clarity for Brown’s career moving forward.
“Well, it’s always good when there is some resolution, but we signed him last year with the civil case looming,” Licht added. “So, all I can go off of is what we saw of Antonio on our team this year. He obviously was a good player, but he was a great teammate. So, to have this resolved, it certainly helps, but that is not necessarily the deciding factor in whether or not we’re going to continue to talk.”
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Buccaneers Break Silence on Antonio Brown’s Free Agency