Antonio Brown Shares Text Messages Exchanged with Bruce Arians
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Antonio Brown is now sharing his side of the story, in his dispute with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and head coach Bruce Arians.
The talented wideout prematurely left his team's Week 17 game against the Jets, and jogged to the locker room shirtless.
Brown released a statement through his attorneys on Wednesday, in order to defend himself against claims that he refused to enter the game when told by the coaching staff.
"I took a seat on the sideline, and my coach came up to me, very upset, and shouted, 'What's wrong with you? What's wrong with you?' I told him, 'It's my ankle.' But, he knew that. It was well-documented, and we had discussed it. He then ordered me to get on the field. I said, 'Coach, I can't.' He didn't call for medical attention," Brown said. "Instead, he shouted at me, 'YOU'RE DONE!' while he ran his finger across his throat. Coach was telling me that if I didn't play hurt, then I was done with the Bucs."
He added, "I know we were losing to the Jets, and that was frustrating for all of us. But, I could not make football plays on that ankle. Yes, I walked off the field. But, there's a major difference between launching from the line and taking hits, compared to jogging off the field with a rush of emotions going through your mind. I am reflecting on my reaction, but there was a trigger. The trigger was someone telling me that I'm not allowed to feel pain."
On Thursday morning, Brown released apparent text messages shared with his head coach, prior to the Buccaneers' Week 17 contest.
It appears the veteran wideout is attempting to state his case that the coaching staff of the Buccaneers was aware of the nature of his injury and should have been more supportive when he made his decision not to return to action when called upon.
