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TAMPA, Fla. — Speaking for the first time since abruptly leaving during the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ game against the New York Jets on Sunday, Antonio Brown said he was forced to play on an injured ankle that will require surgery.
An MRI on Monday revealed broken bone fragments, a ligament torn from the bone and cartilage loss, the receiver said in a lengthy statement released Wednesday night.
Brown also accused the Buccaneers of mischaracterizing his outburst on the field as a “mental health issue,” rather than a refusal to play due to pain.
The Buccaneers did not have any immediate comment to Brown’s statement when reached later Wednesday night.
Brown was on the field for 26 plays before his exit during Sunday’s game in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Upset on the sideline, he took off his jersey, pads and undershirt, and threw his shirt and gloves into the stands. He then dashed across the end zone while both teams were on the field and waved to fans as he went to the locker room.
After the game, Bucs coach Bruce Arians denied having knowledge that Brown was injured, a point he reiterated Monday. Asked if Brown told him he was injured, Arians said, “No.”
However, the receiver’s attorney, Sean Burstyn, told ESPN that Brown told the training staff and Arians that he felt he was too hurt to continue in the game, and that Brown’s ankle had been discussed with the coach and the training staff throughout the week.
Brown said the same in his statement.
“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,” said Brown, who had been questionable on the injury report. “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,…
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Source : espn
