'This Is What Tom Brady Wanted': QB Gets His Wish As Bucs Sign Troubled WR Antonio Brown
BOSTON (CBS) – Tom Brady got his wish.
Controversial wide receiver Antonio Brown, who made a brief stop in New England before his unceremonious exit last year, agreed to a 1-year contract with Brady's new team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers late last week.
New details of the contract were reported Sunday morning by Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Antonio Brown's one-year deal with Tampa has a max value of $2.5 million, per source. It 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. The remaining $1 million is in base salary and roster bonuses.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 25, 2020
Bucs head coach Bruce Arians said in March that Brown would not be joining the team.
"Yeah, it's not going to happen," Arians said at the time. "There's no room. And probably not enough money. But it's not going to happen -- it's not a fit here."
But according to multiple reports, Brady has always had his eyes on Brown, so much so that he had motivational speaker Tony Robbins have "a very long conversation" with the wide receiver.
Tom Brady also called @TonyRobbins and got him to have a very long conversation with Antonio Brown earlier this year so the WR would be on track for his NFL return, sources tell me. https://t.co/0Km8JMrQdt
— Andy Slater (@AndySlater) October 23, 2020
Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network said on Sunday that when Brady was a free agent, this was the move he always had his eyes on – even if his coach wasn't always on board.
"The reality is this is what Tom Brady wanted – for any new team he signed with," Rapoport said. "He wanted to bring (Rob Gronkowski) with him. He wanted to bring Antonio Brown with him. It took a little while to get Bruce Arians the head coach on board with this."
From @NFLGameDay: Tom Brady wanted to bring two players with him when he landed with a new team in free agency -- Gronk and Antonio Brown. With AB joining the #Bucs, Brady gets his wish and Tampa gets more firepower. pic.twitter.com/ApC0xRBBma
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 25, 2020
Brown is expected to clear COVID-19 protocol and join the Bucs officially in the middle of the week. He is eligible to play Week 9 at the conclusion of his suspension.