Jan. 22 (UPI) — Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Antonio Brown will miss Sunday’s NFC Championship Game against the Green Bay Packers because of a knee injury, head coach Bruce Arians said Friday.
“I just talked to him this morning, and to put him on the plane and fly up there and have it swell more doesn’t make any sense,” Arians told reporters. “He wasn’t as close as we’d hoped, so we’ll get him ready for the next one.”
Brown suffered the knee injury during the Buccaneers’ divisional-round win over the New Orleans Saints last week. He played only 27 snaps in the game.
Arians previously described Brown as “day-to-day,” but the Pro Bowl wideout was unable to quickly heal ahead of the NFC title game. He didn’t practice this week.
“It obviously sucks for Antonio. We wish he could be out there with us,” Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady told reporters Friday. “Other guys are going to have to step up and do the job. I’ve got a lot of confidence in the guys that haven’t been out there as much when AB’s been in there.”
Arians said Scotty Miller and rookie Tyler Johnson will have larger roles with Brown sitting out. Johnson had a critical third-down catch for 15 yards against the Saints, while Miller had one grab for 29 yards last week.
“I think if you just look to last week, when Scotty and Tyler made those huge plays in the fourth quarter, the amount of trust that the coaches and Tom have in those guys just because they’ve earned it,” Arians said. “Their performances have earned it. Antonio will be missed, but we’ve got capable people stepping in.”
The Buccaneers are scheduled to kick off against the top-seeded Packers at 3:05 p.m. EST Sunday at Lambeau Field.
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