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Buccaneers' Antonio Brown ruled out for NFC championship vs. Packers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver Antonio Brown will not play in the NFC championship game against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.

Brown was listed as day-to-day with a knee injury and did not practice this week. Head coach Bruce Arians said Friday he has been ruled out for the conference title game in Green Bay.

“He wasn’t as close as we had hoped so we’ll get him ready for the next one,” Arians said, via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times.

Brown injured the knee during the win against the New Orleans Saints and spent large parts of the second half on the bench. An MRI on Monday showed no serious damage.

He caught 45 of 62 targets for 483 yards and four touchdowns in eight regular-season games with the Buccaneers. In the wild-card game against the Washington Football Team he caught two passes for 49 yards and scored the Buccaneers’ first of three touchdowns on a 36-yard pass from Brady.

Antonio Brown
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Antonio Brown is ruled out for the NFC championship game. (AP Photo/Mark LoMoglio)

Having Brown out is a loss, but the Buccaneers and quarterback Tom Brady will still have wide receivers Chris Godwin and Mike Evans as well as Scotty Miller and Tyler Johnson.

Godwin has nine catches for 113 yards and a score in the past two playoff games and Evans has seven for 122 and a touchdown. Four different players have caught TD passes from Brady this postseason.

The Buccaneers added Brown, 32, to the roster after he served an eight-game suspension. He reportedly signed a one-year deal at slightly more than the minimum. Brown last played with Brady and the New England Patriots at the start of the 2019 season. The team released him after sexual assault and rape allegations against him came to light.

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