Antonio Brown Claims He Was Forced To Play On Broken Ankle
When Antonio Brown looks back on his NFL career, he will be able to say one thing with certainty. It wasn’t boring.
The latest Antonio Brown melodrama culminated in a 1,000 word statement from the wideout. Antonio Brown walked off the field against the New York Jets on Sunday.
According to him, he was forced by the Buccaneers to play on an injured ankle. A Monday MRI revealed broken bone fragments, a torn ligament and cartilage loss.Â
Brown insists he informed his coaches of his injury. However, Bruce Arians insisted his player had not made any such revelation. Tampa Bay could not be reached for comment, according to ESPN.Â
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“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,” Brown said.Â
“He then ordered me to get on the field. I said, ‘Coach, I can’t.’ He didn’t call for medical attention. 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.”
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“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,” he said.Â
“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.”
