Tampa Bay Buccaneers' WR Antonio Brown Undergoes 'Successful' Knee Surgery

The veteran wide receiver will have to wait to sign his new contract with the Bucs until after recovering and passing a physical.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Antonio Brown underwent successful knee surgery on Tuesday, according to a report from Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network.

The minor knee procedure was described by Rapoport as "a clean-out after some issues last season." The recovery should be just a few weeks long, the report said.

Brown agreed to a one-year deal worth up to $6.25 million earlier this offseason but has yet to sign the extension. Why hasn't he signed his contract yet? Bucs head coach Bruce Arians explained he has to pass a physical first following the knee procedure.

“He has to pass the physical,” Arians recently told The Pewter Report. “Hopefully we’ll have a scope on Tuesday, he’s getting his knee cleaned out, and everything will work out fine. It’s just a matter of a physical.”

The knee recovery is estimated to be about three to four weeks, according to Greg Auman of The Athletic. Once the recovery is complete, Brown should be set to pass his physical and officially sign the deal with the Bucs and return in time for training camp ahead of the 2021 season.

Brown had to complete an eight-game suspension by the NFL for violating the league's personal conduct policy last year, which led to a game on the sidelines with the Buccaneers after signing a one-year deal with the team in October. Although allegations against Brown were disturbing, the Bucs took a chance on Brown and it paid off.

After starting the season late, the veteran wide receiver began to produce more on the field catching 20 passes for 266 yards and four touchdowns in the last three games of the regular season.

In the postseason, Brown missed the NFC Championship game against the Green Bay Packers due to a knee injury suffered in the Divisional Round. Brown was able to return for Super Bowl LV vs. the Kansas City Chiefs and caught five passes for 22 yards including one touchdown before halftime.

While Brown became an unrestricted free agent following the Super Bowl, Arians explained that the team did, in fact, want Brown to return to Tampa Bay.

“We wanted AB back,” Arians told the Pewter Report. “He was a model citizen the whole time he’s been here. We wanted him back and he’s never had surgery in his life. It’s just a matter of physical done. I wanted him back the whole time.”

Stay tuned to AllBucs.com for further updates on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and 2021 NFL free agency.