Antonio Brown's eight-game suspension ended on Tuesday, and the receiver is eligible to play against the Saints on Sunday night.
It's official—Antonio Brown will be back for Week 9.
The Buccaneers officially activated Brown from the reserve/suspension list on Tuesday afternoon, setting up his return to game action against the Saints.
The team stated that Brown finished his commissioner's suspension, which officially ended at the conclusion of Week 8, and they waived wide receiver Cyril Grayson to create an open spot for Brown.
Brown was suspended for eight games due to a violation of the NFL's Personal Conduct Policy. In January 2020, the 32-year-old was arrested for allegedly throwing a rock and assaulting a driver of a moving company truck. His initial charge included felony assault and battery, but it was lowered in March to burglary of a vehicle, misdemeanor battery and misdemeanor criminal mischief.
However, the NFL is still investigating Brown for sexual assault allegations, which were brought against him by his former trainer. The accusations led to his release from the Patriots in 2019. From there, things spiraled out of control for Brown.
The Bucs signed Brown on Oct. 27, reuniting him with quarterback Tom Brady, who reportedly pushed the team to sign Brown. Now that he is off the reserve/suspension list, Brown can practice with Tampa Bay beginning on Wednesday.
“He’ll have his role – it could be 10 plays [or] it could be 35 plays," Bucs coach Bruce Arians said of Brown's role on Sunday, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. "I wouldn’t anticipate 60 plays, for sure, but we’ll just see how it goes.”