Getty Mohamed Sanu could reunite with Tom Brady in Tampa Bay.
Finding a reliable third wide receiver still remains a big need for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Star wide receiver Chris Godwin won’t be ready at the start of the season due to an ACL tear, and free agent acquisition Russell Gage hasn’t practiced yet due to an undisclosed injury. The Bucs don’t have consistent receiver after Mike Evans with Godwin and Gage out. No other returning Bucs receiver had more than 36 catches, 360 yards, or two touchdowns in 2021.
Tampa Bay could turn to a former target of quarterback Tom Brady in free agent wideout Mohamed Sanu. They played together in New England during the 2019 season before Brady joined the Bucs and Sanu went to San Francisco.
Brady previously played a role in the Patriots obtaining Sanu via a trade with the Atlanta Falcons that year, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. The analyst described Sanu as “a guy that Brady was eager to have inside the building there ” in New England.
Sanu, 32, could give Brady and the Bucs a boost in the passing game now, going into the 2022 season. The former Rutgers star has a career average of 11.2 yards per reception, and he has 435 receptions for 4,871 yards and 27 touchdowns in 136 games. He also helped the Falcons reach Super Bowl 51 in the 2016 season before losing 34-28 in an epic comeback by Brady and the Patriots.
“I would say it’s [Brady’s career] is probably undisputed the best career in NFL if not sports history,” Sanu said about Brady in an interview with Sportscasting. “… I know what it feels like to get beat by Tom Brady. Playing with him, I know what it feels like to play with him. And you can see why he is the way he is. He works extremely hard, he’s very detailed in his work, and that’s why he’s as successful as he can be.”
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Sanu Once Tormented the Bucs
Tampa Bay dealt with Sanu many times during his stint with the Falcons from 2016 to 2019. That included Sanu’s highlight-reel touchdown pass to Julio Jones in 2017.
#TBT to wide receiver @Mo_12_Sanu 🇸🇱 moonlighting as a quarterback for the @AtlantaFalcons in 2017.
After spending last season with @49ers he is currently a free agent.
#NFLAfrica #Throwback #Versatile #SanuSr #Salone #SaloneTwitter
Arguably his best season came in 2018 when he caught 66 passes for 838 yards and four touchdowns. His production hasn’t reached that level since, but he averaged 11 yards or better per reception the past two seasons. Injuries limited his playing time during stints with the 49ers and Detroit Lions.
Sanu Still Has Something Left
Sanu showed in 2021 that he can still make big plays. He quickly connected with 49ers rookie quarterback Trey Lance, which included a fourth-down completion during the regular season and a touchdown in the preseason. Lance played as the backup quarterback last season, and Sanu appeared in just eight games.
Trey Lance to Mohamed Sanu for the 49ers TD!
(via @NFL)
Brady and Sanu already have some chemistry from playing together in 2019. Plus, the Bucs could obtain him at minimal cost. He made $1.14 million last season in San Francisco per Spotrac. Sanu told Sportscasting that he doesn’t know where his career will take him next.
“Just chill, look back, see where the best options are, what works for me, what works for my family, and go from there. I never close a door on anything,” Sanu said per Sportscasting. “I never say, ‘that’s the end of that.’ Maybe, I go back to San Fran, maybe not. Maybe, I’ll go somewhere else. Who knows. I’m grateful for the opportunity to be able to go out there and play again on an NFL team if somebody wants me. I still can, I know I can. I got the ability to.”
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Former Tom Brady Target Still Available for Bucs: Analysis