A reunion between Tom Brady and Antonio Brown with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would be entertaining, but it doesn't sound like it's actually going to happen.
There were reports earlier in the week that indicated Brady might want to bring Brown with him to a new team. Brady reportedly is expected to sign with the Buccaneers in NFL free agency after announcing Monday he would be leaving the New England Patriots.
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NFL Media's Ian Rapoport on Thursday poured cold water on the possibility of Brady and Brown teaming up in Tampa Bay.
"There definitely was some sense that Tom Brady would want to bring Antonio Brown with him," Rapoport said on NFL Network. "This from some of the other teams that were potentially in the mix here. What really wasn't a secret (is) Brady and AB have remained close. My understanding is this is not something that Bruce Arians is in favor of. He's had Antonio Brown before. He had him a couple of years in Pittsburgh. Does not sound like it went well. This does not seem to be like the direction that the Bucs would be going."
Brown is still under investigation by the NFL and needs to be reinstated to be eligible to play next season. He was released by the Patriots in September after playing in just one game with Brady.
The Buccaneers don't even need Brown when you look at their roster. They already have one of the best wide receiver combos in the league with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin giving Brady two excellent pass-catchers to target. Tampa Bay would be better off spending its salary cap space on defense, or perhaps to upgrade the running back position.
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Brown is super talented and has been one of the league's most productive wideouts throughout his career, but his time with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Las Vegas Raiders and Patriots all ended poorly. The Bucs should avoid any potential distractions and look for other players to bring in who can help Brady succeed.