"Should've never been on the field to begin with" - NFL insider reveals the true extent of Antonio Brown's ankle injury
Details on why Antonio Brown refused to re-enter Week 17's game are still developing. Entering Week 17 against the New York Jets, Brown had an ankle injury he had dealt with for two weeks.
Brown was questionable for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 17 but ultimately suited up before notoriously melting down and exiting MetLife Stadium.
On Tuesday, Tampa Bay Times reporter Rick Stroud reported that Brown had no business playing. Stroud revealed that Brown's inner circle was concerned about the wide receivers' health.
He also said Brown's camp plans on telling their side of the story soon.
Antonio Brown's ankle injury was more severe than initially thought
Stroud's tweets shed new light on Antonio Brown's fallout with the Buccaneers. According to Stroud, Brown dealt with severe pain in his injured ankle.
The 33-year-old has a high pain tolerance. So it's telling that he refused to re-enter the game upon Bruce Arians' request.
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.
Brown's camp has been silent on the matter. Brown did release a new rap song Sunday night, however.
He also congratulated Ben Roethlisberger on his legendary career Monday while also attending the Memphis Grizzlies and Brooklyn Nets game.
Stroud also reported Brown visited a top surgeon outside of the Buccaneers organization. His MRI confirmed he had serious pain and that his injury was more troubling than initially thought.
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...
According to Stroud's reports, Brown shouldn't have played against the Jets. But Brown was able to practice and warm-up Sunday without restrictions.
That put Arians in an awkward spot.
The Buccaneers had already lost Chris Godwin for the season after he tore his ACL. Their other wide receiver, Mike Evans, was also coming off an injury and not physically 100 percent.
Since Brown looked and felt fine in warm-ups, Arians playing Brown made sense from his perspective. But somewhere along the way, there was a miscommunication between Brown's side and the coaches.
The Buccaneers have yet to release Brown in a shocking development. That said, it's still expected Brown's career with the Buccaneers will be over.
Tom Brady has voiced his emotional support for his friend after the game.
Antonio Brown literally quit on Tom Brady in the middle of a game
I absolutely didn’t expect this reaction of immediate sympathy
who knows what AB is going thru but credit to Brady, this level of empathy & humanity in the moment is impressive https://t.co/jl3sL8sCqL
Brown walking off the field and stripping himself from the waist up is an unparalleled moment in NFL history. His actions have been a talking point around the league ever since.
While we wait for more news and details on the matter, all we can do is hope Brown is okay.