Antonio Brown: ‘There’s nothing wrong with my mental health’
Seven-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Antonio Brown remains a free agent following his bizarre in-game departure from the Week 17 Tampa Bay Buccaneers-New York Jets matchup and subsequent dismissal from the Buccaneers.
Brown has said a setback related to the ankle injury he initially suffered in October made him physically unable to continue playing at the Jets, while Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians later told reporters the 33-year-old “was very upset at halftime about who was getting targeted” and that Brown eventually “refused to go in the game,” which resulted in Arians telling the wideout to “get the eff out of here.”
Per TMZ Sports, Brown appeared on the latest edition of the “I Am Athlete” podcast and again offered his side of the story.
“Why every time something happens bad, or how someone reacts, ‘Aw, he’s crazy, there’s something wrong with his mental health,'” Brown said about those who have questioned his actions over the past few weeks. “There’s nothing wrong with my mental health. Someone told me to get the f— out of here. I’m not passive-aggressive.”
Brown reiterated previous reports that Arians and company allegedly knew he was injured on the first Sunday of January.
“An NFL Super Bowl team coach told a guy on the team who’s playing hurt ‘get the f— out of here,'” Brown said of Arians, who recently went viral for swiping at safety Andrew Adams during last Sunday’s playoff win over the Philadelphia Eagles. That incident earned Arians a fine of $50,000 from the NFL.
It remains unclear if any team will give Brown another chance to extend his pro career before or during the 2022 season.