"No way it proves Buccaneers intentionally tried to hurt him" - Doctor breaks down Antonio Brown's MRI scan, refutes WR's claim
Nearly two months after Antonio Brown walked off the field, the NFL community is still attempting to figure out what took place leading up to the walk-off.
On YouTube, Dr. David Chao posted a reaction to the wide receiver's recent post showing part of his MRI scan. In the post, the wide receiver claimed that the Buccaneers were attempting to hurt him by asking him to play injured.
Chao dismisses this claim, as the MRI reveals that the state of his injury was not as severe as he was claiming and was not at risk for permanent injury.
"Antonio Brown posted some video of his MRI and MRI from October where it does seem like a doctor or someone is explaining his ankle MRI to him. There is no question that the ankle MRI is not normal, but in no way shape or form does this show or prove that the Bucs intentionally tried to hurt him."
Did Antonio Brown play injured?
Chao doesn't dispute that Brown was injured at the end of the season. However, he disputes how much damage was done and whether he could continue to play through the end of the season.
Basically, he's siding with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the issue.
"So to say that the Bucs are trying to hurt him, doesn't make sense. I guarantee you he had some bone spurs in his ankle when they won the Super Bowl the year before. He had bone spurs at the start of this year and the end of this year.
"I am completely supportive, that Antonio Brown has a real injury and likely needs surgery and arthroscopic surgery to clean up the bone spurs and this would indeed provide him more range of motion. But many players have ankle bone spurs that they play through until the end of the season."
I’ve known Antonio Brown since he was a rookie. He’s absolutely out to lunch right now and acting in the most bizarre and strange way he’s ever acted. Totally out to lunch. Guy seems in a bad way. https://t.co/pPFuyPBbWt
According to the doctor, the post has since been deleted. In the video, the doctor posits that it could be due to the fact that the wide receiver was told that the MRI was hurting more than helping.
At the same time, the wide receiver can now say that he posted the MRI but ultimately took it down for privacy reasons.
Antonio Brown released this image of his foot/ankle injury on his IG account with usual claims that #Bucs made him play hurt, Tom Brady didn’t throw him the football and Bruce Arians fired him for being hurt. https://t.co/tLOTOshcfm
That would give him an out while also getting his message out there. In other words, he can eat his cake and have it, too. Will it be enough for other teams in March to take a chance with him?
Free agency is right around the corner, so Brown's future won't be in limbo too much longer.