Bruce Arians outlines expectations of Antonio Brown’s debut

The Buccaneers might have Antonio Brown, but how much will he play Sunday?

Antonio Brown is officially back in the NFL. After being officially activated by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers off the reserve/suspended list, the veteran pass-catcher will be hoping to resurge his NFL career with Tom Brady and the offense.

That’s all based on how Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints pans out, according to Bruce Arians. The Buccaneers’ coach stated in a press conference Tuesday that while Brown is expected to be active, the team doesn’t know how many snaps he will see in their Week 9 matchup.

“It really depends on how the game goes,” Arians told reporters. “If we’re successful with the package we put him in, we’ll probably run it more. He’ll have his role, and it could be 10 plays, it could be 35 plays. I wouldn’t anticipate 60 plays for sure, but we’ll just see how it goes.”

Is Brown set to be a star in Tampa Bay?

Brown signed a one-year deal worth $1.4 million base salary late last month. Brady was adamant about adding Brown to his roster following his release from the then-Oakland Raiders in 2019. After agreeing to terms on a one-year, the duo combined for four catches, 56 yards and a touchdown in their one game with the New England Patriots. Brown would be released the following week due to off the field concerns.

Arians, who worked with Brown during his time in Pittsburgh, wasn’t a fan of signing the Pro Bowl receiver initially this offseason. However, with injuries to players such as OJ Howard and Chris Godwin, the team hoped to build their chemistry with another offensive weapon. Arians did praise Brown last week after a strong first practice in the new uniform.

“He looks fantastic. I think we had really good conversations today, he and I,” Arians said Wednesday, via ESPN’s Jenna Laine. “He was in the meetings and everything. And he’s working with Anthony Piroli and the strength staff. He looks in great shape. Yeah, ready to go next week.”

“AB in TB” could be a match made in heaven for Brady. The question is how productive can he be in a loaded offense? That should be answered at some point in Raymond James Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

For his career, Brown has tallied 841 receptions, 11,263 yards, 79 touchdowns and averaged 13.4 yards per catch.