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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been without veteran wide receiver Antonio Brown since October 14. He had nine catches for 93 yards and a touchdown, and all seemed well.
But an ankle injury has held him out since. The initial timeline was six weeks, but Buccaneers fans got some bad news on Brown and his injury.
The six-week timeline has turned into a minimum of eight weeks as Brown is expected to miss two more games at a minimum. It is a tough blow for Tampa Bay at a time when they may have expected the veteran to return.
Antonio Brown still weeks away from returning
A report claims that Brown is dealing with issues in his heel, in addition to the intial ankle injury. That is why his absence will stretch on even longer.
Brown was off to a nice start in 2021 with 418 yards and four touchdowns in five games. He was averaging nearly six receptions per game and it was clear the that connection was there between himself and Tom Brady.
But with his absence, Brown joins the list of Buccaneers who have missed time this season. The team just recently got Rob Gronkowski back after he missed time with a serious rib injury.
The good news for Brady and the Tampa Bay offense is that Brown was not the only playmaker. In fact, he was not even one of the top two receivers. Those spots are held down by Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, respectively. Leonard Fournette has also emerged as a legitimate weapon in the passing game in addition to his dominance as a runner.
Based on this latest report, Brown will be out through Week 14. That leaves four games in the regular season, starting with a home matchup against the New Orleans Saints in Week 15.
As it stands, the Buccaneers have a comfortable three-game lead in the NFC South division. That could mean Brown is eased back into action with the intention of keeping him fresh for the postseason. That strategy may be wise in general given the extended regular season schedule.
Buccaneers fans are not getting Brown back this week, but there has been no indication that he is at risk of missing the rest of the season. His status for the postseason remains the most important thing for Tampa as they seek to defend their Super Bowl title.
