Quarterback Tom Brady has been known to influence the moves that his teams have made. Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Antonio Brown returned to the field on Sunday afternoon after a three-game suspension from the National Football League for submitting a fraudulent COVID-19 vaccination card.
On Undisputed with Skip Bayless and Shannon Sharpe, both co-hosts stated that they didn't understand Brown's actions or how he is still on the team, even though Brown was told that he would be released from the team for behavioral-related issues.
Bayless said that he believes that the only reason that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and head coach Bruce Arians kept Brown on the team is because Tom Brady told them that he needed Brown on the field.
Bayless voiced how disappointed he was in Tom Brady. He went on to say that he felt that Brady needed to keep Antonio Brown on the team after his suspension because he couldn't win without him.
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"I'm disappointed in Brady that he didn't want to cut bait. And yet not only did Brady not cut bait, what did he do yesterday on the football team? He threw him 15 balls. He said I am all in with little number 81. I'm going to force feed him the football. He actually looked pretty good yesterday, did Antonio Brown. But Brady is showing you it's Antonio or bust, and what happens when you tell Antonio Brown? You send him the message, 'You are our savior. We are all in for you'. What starts to happen? AB starts to act up and act out because he is empowered. " - Bayless
Skip Bayless says that Tom Brady "empowered" Antonio Brown
The Buccaneers defeated the Carolina Panthers and won the NFC South. Brown had ten receptions for 101 receiving yards in his first game back from suspension. After the game, Antonio Brown told reporters that he wasn't going to answer questions and that they were the ones causing the drama and "framing" with allegations.
Bayless and Sharpe listed all of the issues that Brown has faced throughout his NFL career, both on the field and off the field. They said that a fake vaccination card is a federal offense, and if Bruce Arians were going to keep his word that Brown's behavior wouldn't be tolerated, then he shouldn't have been reinstated after the suspension.
Bayless feels that Tom Brady is the one that convinced Bruce Arians that he couldn't win without Brown, especially after the Chris Godwin ACL injury and with Mike Evans out for the time being with a hamstring sprain.
Now that Brown is back with the team, Bayless and Sharpe feel that Brown believes that he has "power" and can just accuse the media and others of misrepresenting his actions. The two co-hosts, also, believe Tom Brady is the reason that Brown is even playing for the Buccaneers as of right now.
Antonio Brown is currently on his second, one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and it will be of interest to all to see what the team decides to do with the wide receiver heading into the 2022 NFL season.
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