Antonio Brown clearly criticized the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a detailed statement after his scandal exit last Sunday. According to the wide receiver, the team didn’t take an injury seriously and wanted to force him to play despite his complaints. The team has now responded.
On Thursday night, 33-year-old Brown called for the first time since his extraordinary appearance in the game against the New York Jets to speak. Brown published a detailed memo.
In it he stated that he was suffering from an ankle injury that would result in an operation. An examination on Monday showed broken bones and other damage to his ankle, Brown said. However, the Bucs did not take his complaints seriously.
“I took a seat on the sidelines and my coach came up to me and said, ‘What’s wrong with you? What’s wrong with you?’ yelled. But he knew. We had before [über die Verletzung] spoke, “said Brown.” He then instructed me to go back to the field. I said, ‘Coach, I can’t.’ He didn’t call doctors, instead he shouted: ‘That’s it!’ “
“I know we were behind against the Jets, we were all frustrated. But I couldn’t play football with that ankle,” the receiver explained. “I think about my own reaction on the field, but there was a trigger for it. The trigger was when I was told not to feel pain.”
NFL: Brown officially sacked on Thursday
On Thursday evening German time, the Buccaneers responded with a statement. They defended themselves against the accusation and stated in a statement that Brown had previously been treated for the ankle injury, but was “cleared by our medical staff” for the game against the Jets.
At no point during the game did Brown “point out that he could not play”. The franchise also tried several times to make an appointment with an orthopedic specialist, but Brown “did not go into it”
The Bucs officially announced in their statement that the contract for the wide receiver has been terminated with “immediate effect”.
NFL: Brown with an inglorious exit to the Jets
Brown had played against the Jets for 26 plays, before he suddenly took off his jersey on the edge of the field and ran across the field towards the cabin. The receiver then left the stadium.
Bruce Arians had announced after the Bucs victory that Brown would no longer play a game for the Buccaneers. When asked whether he knew about an injury to Brown, Arians said no.
For Brown, it’s yet another scandal in a long list of questionable appearances on and off the pitch.
.