Getty Antonio Brown has 10 catches for 100 yards this season.
Bruce Arians acted fed up with the Antonio Brown subject Thursday.
Arians, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach, evaded questions during Thursday’s press conference regarding Brown’s Oct. 15 security camera-breaking incident before joining the team as a free agent on Oct. 23. Police found probable cause to charge Brown for breaking the camera at his Hollywood luxury community but the housing association didn’t press charges, the Miami Herald reported Monday.
“I think we’re trying to beat a dead horse here now,” Arians said in the press conference. “There’s been enough statements about it.”
Arians talked about Brown’s behavior on SiriusXM Wednesday night and said that the Buccaneers organization knew about the incident before the star wide receiver joined. Arians also said that Brown has been doing what’s asked of him since joining the team.
Bruce Arians tells us that despite the latest incident with Antonio Brown, the wide receiver is in good standing with the team…
“He’s been a model citizen, if and when he’s not, we’ll move on” #GoBucs
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“I don’t really think we’re going to have any problems,” Arians also told Sirius XM. “We haven’t had any so far and I really would not anticipate any.”
Arians avoided talking Thursday about why he believed Brown had matured despite knowing about the incident when asked by ESPN’s Jenna Laine.
“I think we’ve had enough conversations about that. Thank you,” Arians said.
NBC Sports’ Curtis Crabtree wrote that the Bucs as an organization aren’t showing “buyers remorse” yet in the decision to sign Brown. The team’s statement released Tuesday confirms knowledge of Brown’s actions but stated expectations have been met since his arrival.
The NFL opened an investigation of the incident this week because it may violate the league’s player personal conduct policy. USA Today reported that NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said via email this type of investigation is standard. The league hasn’t stated whether or not it will suspend Brown.
The star receiver came to Tampa Bay at the tail-end of an eight-game suspension by the league due to multiple violations of the league’s policy per NFL.com.
Title or Bust
Tampa Bay Times columnist John Romano wrote that the Bucs signing Brown comes down to winning a Super Bowl and nothing altruistic for Brown’s needs.
Romano noted Brown’s previous teams dumped him once his off-field issues outweighed his on-field success. That included a one-game stint with quarterback Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in 2019.
Tampa signed Brady as a free agent in March, and Arians indicated he didn’t want Brown at the time according to Laine. Arians’ position apparently changed in October when the Bucs signed Brown to a one-year $1.416 million salary.
Odds of New Suspension
While the NFL hasn’t announced if Brown has another suspension coming because the Oct. 15 incident wasn’t reported, the NFL could have grounds to do it.
Yahoo Sports’ Jason Owens reported that the NFL’s conduct policy is open-ended and therefore could divvy out a suspension for the incident, especially when such an incident wasn’t reported. The conduct policy states not reporting an incident “will be grounds for disciplinary action,” and it goes on. The policy also states that “any incident that comes to the club’s or player’s attention which, if the allegations were true, would constitute a violation of the policy.”
While the Bucs have plenty of depth at receiver, losing Brown could cause a significant hit to the offense. Brown provided a spark since joining the team. He caught 10 passes for 100 yards in two games.
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Bruce Arians Breaks Silence on Antonio Brown Incident