Antonio Brown is officially with the Buccaneers: What happens next?

Antonio Brown is officially a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and will make his debut on Nov. 8.

According to ESPN insider Adam Schefter, embattled wide receiver Antonio Brown officially signed a contract to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Tuesday morning.

Brown is expected to make his debut on Sunday Night Football for the Bucs on Nov. 8 against the New Orleans Saints. He’ll be eligible to practice with the team once his NFL suspension is lifted following Tampa Bay’s Week 8 matchup against the New York Giants. For now, his contributions to the team will be minimized to off-field participation only.

After more than a years absence from the league due to the fallout of an alleged-sexual abuse scandal and various disciplinary measures, Brown will return to the playing field where he will be reunited with Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady, his quarterback briefly in New England, and head coach Bruce Arians, who was once the offensive coordinator during the receiver’s time in Pittsburgh.

Is Antonio Brown the right fit for Tampa Bay?

Let’s be completely honest; Brown is an otherworldly talent and has long been considered one of the hardest working receivers in the league. At the same time, the guy carries with him a ton of baggage.

The former All-Pro has surefire chemistry with Brady, which was apparent last season in his lone game as a member of the New England Patriots. Still, it will be interesting to see how he reacts in a reduced role in a receiving corps that includes Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Rob Gronkowski and Scotty Miller. At the moment, the unit is a little banged up, which has helped pave the way for Brown’s arrival.

In the past Arians has been hesitant when asked about Brown potentially taking the field for Tampa Bay. At times, the coach even deemed it a bad fit for the team. Now, with the rash of injuries being dealt to the Buccaneers and reported lobbying from Brady, it seems that the coach is willing to give the disgraced Brown another chance as long as he commits to being a team player.

What type of impact can be expected from Antonio Brown?

Brown has quieted in recent months and has suggested on many occasions that he is a changed man. The current status quo seems to be a lifetime’s worth of time away from the attention-grabbing antics he displayed last season in Oakland, New England and in Florida as a free agent.

Brown’s talent cannot be denied and he’s one of the top receivers of his generation along with the likes of Julio Jones and DeAndre Hopkins. The very public receiver seems to have kept himself in game shape, as his Instagram page is flooded with videos of him working out regularly in both the weight room and on-field with numerous NFL players over the last year.

It’s expected that he’ll have an immediate impact, because of his familiarity with both Brady and Arians. However, he’s still subject to further NFL suspension in the event of any new developments in his legal issues. Brown is an unpredictable wildcard. At any given point in time, the uncertainty surrounding him has the potential to derail his return, as well as the Bucs’ season.