One of the most bizarre things we’ve seen in an NFL game happened on Sunday. Antonio Brown, on the heels of some sort of argument on the sideline, took off his pads and left the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during their game against the New York Jets, waving goodbye as he made his way out of the stadium. Videos went on to show that Brown literally got a ride to New York City in the midst of the game following his decision to depart.
All of this begs a question that has never fully been answered: What the heck happened? There have been reports that the Bucs staff told Brown if he wouldn’t go into the game that he had to leave, while Brown claims he was too injured to play despite getting cleared. Now, according to a report by Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, an MRI was performed and indicated that Brown was, indeed, banged up to the point that some folks around him think he should have sat out the game.
Antonio Brown update below:
Antonio's friends were worried about the pain he was experiencing so they encouraged him to see a top surgeon outside the Bucs' organization. That visit and an MRI confirm his serious pain and that story is developing…— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) January 4, 2022
Antonio is known for having a high pain threshold but the belief is Antonio probably should've never been on the field to begin with Sunday. And official statement from Brown's camp will be issued soon. They have stayed quiet since Sunday.
— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) January 4, 2022
It is worth mentioning that Brown is still on the Bucs’ roster despite head coach Bruce Arians saying the team was going to cut him, and there is no word on whether or not Brown’s medical situation has complicated the team’s ability to do that.
