TAMPA, Fla. — Last week, it was wide receiver Antonio Brown toasting quarterback Tom Brady for breaking the NFL’s career passing yardage record against the New England Patriots. This week, it was Brown’s turn at making history.
With a first-quarter catch against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, Brown overtook Pro Football Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison to become the fastest NFL player to reach 900 catches. On first-and-10 from the Tampa Bay 25-yard line, Brady found Brown on a slant route for a 10-yard gain for the mark.
At the beginning of the second quarter, the Buccaneers’ stadium PA announcer acknowledged Brown’s achievement. He was given hugs on the sideline by wide receivers coach Kevin Garver, wide receiver Jaydon Mickens and running back Ronald Jones. Other teammates came over to congratulate him on the sideline following Ryan Succop‘s 42-yard field goal.
On Brown’s next catch, Brady found him underneath for a 62-yard catch and run on a crossing route for a touchdown — the longest touchdown of the Buccaneers’ season through five games. On the play, Brown reached 20.95 mph, according to NFL Next Gen Stats.
Brown, 33, added a second touchdown catch shortly before halftime.
The Buccaneers were dealt a blow when inside linebacker and longtime team captain Lavonte David was rolled up on by teammate Ndamukong Suh while blitzing quarterback Jacoby Brissett. David’s ankle was caught under Suh, and he was ruled out for the remainder of the game and taken to the locker room for X-rays, which were negative, according to a source.
Heading into Sunday’s game against his hometown team, Brown, now in his 12th season and second with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, needed just one catch to reach the 900 mark in his 143rd career game. Harrison, who spent 13 seasons in the NFL — all with the Indianapolis Colts — did it in 149 games.
Brown would likely have achieved the milestone sooner had it not been for an eight-game suspension in 2020 due to burglary and battery charges stemming from an incident with a moving truck driver in January 2020. But in Tampa, he has been reunited with Brady, has worked to get his life back on track and has found a career resurgence.
