Antonio Brown injury: How long will Buccaneers WR be out for?

Antonio Brown is confirmed to be out for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' game against the Chicago Bears on Sunday. The wide receiver suffered an ankle injury late in the game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday Night Football back in Week 6, and the extra days of rest were certainly not enough for the star receiver to be healthy to play this Sunday.

While the Buccaneers have a lot of great receiving options available for Tom Brady, losing Brown hurts the offense overall, especially considering how strong the Bears' defense is.

Brown has amassed 280 receiving yards over the last three games and seems to be back in his elite form from his days with the Pittsburgh Steelers. But he won't be available on Sunday.

How much time will Brown miss?

The exact severity of Brown's ankle injury is unknown, but it's unlikely he will miss more time after this game. The receiver did not practice during the week, but there's also no sign or information that he has a serious high ankle sprain.

Miami Dolphins vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers

At this point, it's all speculation. The only official information is that he won't feature in Sunday's game against the Bears. It's worth mentioning that the Buccaneers have a game on October 31 against the New Orleans Saints in Week 8 and have a bye the week after. If they want to play cautiously, Brown may be held out until Week 10, when Tampa Bay face Washington on November 14. Again, at this point, it's all speculation.

A sprained ankle is a common injury in the NFL, and recovery time depends on the severity of the injury. A high sprain ankle, for example, usually takes four to six weeks to heal, while a lateral sprain takes less than three weeks. The fact that Brown wasn't placed on injured reserve, where he would miss three weeks, can be a sign that his injury is not much serious, even though he's going to miss Sunday's game.

Luckily for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tom Brady, the number of weapons available on the roster is big enough to mitigate Brown's absence. Mike Evans and Chris Godwin are healthy; Scotty Miller filled in nicely for Brown during the last NFC Championship Game, even scoring a deep touchdown just before halftime.

There are also great receiving tight end options in O.J. Howard and Cameron Brate, with Rob Gronkowski still recovering from his rib injury. Even with Antonio Brown sidelined, there is no reason to believe that Tom Brady and the Buccaneers offense will skip a beat against the Bears.