The grand return of Tom Brady to Foxborough will be the talk of the football world this weekend, as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers visit the New England Patriots at Gilette Stadium. But while all eyes are on Brady vs. Bill Belichick, the Buccaneers made a move ahead of that matchup by activating wide receiver Antonio Brown from the COVID-19 list, as reported by Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network.
The #Bucs have activated WR Antonio Brown from the reserve/COVID-19 list, as coach Bruce Arians said they would. He’ll play Sunday.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 30, 2021
Brown missed the Buccaneers' Week 3 game against the Los Angeles Rams on the road. Brady mustered almost 450 yards in that game, but those were not enough to prevent a 34-24 loss to LA.
Article Continues BelowBrown could have made a difference, but he can make up for lost time on Sunday against the Patriots, who will have their hands full against a loaded Buccaneers receiving corps. Apart from Brown, the Buccaneers also have Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Rob Gronkowski
The 33-year-old Brown started the season like a house on fire, pulling down five of seven targets for 121 receiving yards and a touchdown in Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys. He was silent in Week 2 against the Atlanta Falcons, as he only managed to record one catch and 17 receiving yards on three targets. Expect Brady to feed Brown against the Patriots, as the veteran wideout remains to be a huge threat as a field-stretcher for Tampa Bay's offense that is averaging 362.3 passing yards per game.