The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are thin at wide receiver all of a sudden. Mike Evans and Chris Godwin left Sunday's loss to the New Orleans Saints with injuries, a factor on Tom Brady having his worst passing game of the season (Brady was shut out for the first time in 15 years).
Tampa Bay finished the game with Tyler Johnson, Scotty Miller, and Jaelon Darden as its top three receivers -- the trio finished with just six catches for 59 yards and 13 targets. With head coach Bruce Arians not releasing the extent of Evans and Godwin's injuries, are the Buccaneers set to bring back Antonio Brown as the playoff run gets in full swing?
"Yeah, it's in the best interest of our football team," Arians said after Sunday's loss to the Saints. "Both of those guys (Brown and safety Mike Edwards) have served their time and we'll welcome them back."
Brown and safety Mike Edwards were suspended three games by the league for producing fate COVID-19 vaccination cards and neither player will face any more discipline from the team. If Evans and Godwin are out for an extended period of time, Brown is the top wide receiver for Brady until they return.
"A lot of the guys got banged up tonight, but that's part of football," Brady said. "So we have to try to figure out who can go in and fill in some roles and play great football, and we're going to have to put together a great week this week."
Brown has 29 catches for 418 yards and four touchdowns in just five games for the Buccaneers this season, becoming a reliable passing option for Brady when he's available.
This was an interesting change of course for Arians, who told Brown when the Buccaneers brought him in last season there would be "no second chances" stemming from Brown's incidents in the NFL before signing with Tampa Bay.
