Buccaneers Rule Out WR Antonio Brown For NFC Championship Game

Buccaneers HC Bruce Arians announced Friday that WR Antonio Brown is out for Sunday with a knee injury. 

Arians had said previously that Brown was going to be a game-time decision, even though his knee injury is not considered serious. 

However, it appears to be bad enough to keep him out of the NFC Championship game. 

Brown, 32, is a former sixth-round pick of the Steelers back in 2010. He was in the third year of his five-year, $72.71 million contract when the Steelers traded him to the Raiders back in March. 

The Raiders later signed Brown to a new contract worth $50.125 million and includes $30.125 million guaranteed. However, Oakland made the decision to release Brown before the start of the season and he later signed a one-year deal worth up to $15 million with the Patriots.

Brown lasted just 11 days in New England. The Buccaneers signed him to a contract last year. Brown’s one-year deal with the Buccaneers is worth up to $2.5 million and includes a $750,000 bonus for a Super Bowl win, and three $250,000 bonuses — one for receptions, one for yards and one for TDs. 

In 2020, Brown has appeared in eight games for the Buccaneers and caught 45 passes for 483 yards receiving and four touchdowns.