Receiver Antonio Brown said he left the game against the Jets because coach Bruce Arians cut him for not wanting to play injured
UNITED STATES – Antonio Brown finally broke his silence on the incident that ended his career at the Bucs , claiming the team gave him a “powerful and sometimes dangerous pain reliever” as well as forcing him to play despite knowing he had an injury. severe ankle.
Brown , 33, stripped off his jersey and gear and walked off the Met Life field in Week 17’s game against the New York Jets .
“Due to my commitment to the game, I gave in to direct pressure from my coach to play injured. Despite the pain, I got dressed. The staff injected me with what I now know was a powerful and sometimes dangerous pain reliever that the NFLPA warned against. use, and I gave it my all for the team, ” Brown said in a statement issued by his attorney.
The 7-time Pro Bowl continued, ensuring that the pain reached a point where he could no longer bear it.
“I played until it became clear that I could not use my ankle to fulfill my playing responsibilities safely. On top of that, the pain was extreme. I sat on the touchline and my coach approached me, very upset, And he yelled, ‘What’s wrong with you?’ I said, ‘It’s my ankle.’ But he knew it. ”
AB claimed Tampa Bay head coach Bruce Arians didn’t care and demanded he get back in the game.
Brown notes that he responded, “Coach, I can’t.” Instead, he yelled at me, “You’re done!” as he ran his finger down his throat. “The coach told me that if I didn’t play hurt, then I was done with the Bucs .”
“I didn’t quit. They cut me off. I didn’t walk away from my brothers. They kicked me out,” the receiver said.
As for the Bucs, Arians claimed he never discussed an ankle injury with Antonio.
Clearly, AB and the team have two different views on what happened on the field, in what was one of the strangest and most surreal moments in NFL history .