Bruce Arians: Antonio Brown Never Said He Was Injured Before Leaving Field

Arians: "[Brown] left the field and that was it."

Antonio Brown's exit from the field on Sunday marked the latest strange turn in the wide receiver's career, and there appear to be conflicting reports on what triggered Brown's departure at MetLife Stadium.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Monday that Brown told the Buccaneers his ankle wasn't healthy enough for him to return to the game in the third quarter. Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians and the Tampa coaching staff reportedly believed Brown was healthy, and they sent him to the locker room after he refused to go onto the field, per Rapoport. 

Arians refuted Rapoport's report when asked about the incident Monday. Arians said Brown did not tell him he was injured, adding "[Brown] left the field and that was it."

Here's full quote on Bruce Arians on Antonio Brown: "I don't know that he was (injured). It's pretty obvious what happened. He left the field and that was it. ... We had a conversation and he left the field."

— Greg Auman (@gregauman) January 3, 2022

Bruce Arians said Antonio Brown didn't tell anyone he was injured, they did have a conversation, but Brown left on his own. Arians didn't say he told Brown to leave.

"We had a conversation and he left the field."https://t.co/LD77akl73H

— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) January 3, 2022

Arians confirmed Brown's time with the Buccaneers was over following Sunday's incident. Tampa's coach wished Brown well on Monday, noting "I do care about him a bunch and I hope he's okay."

Brown tallied 1,002 receiving yards and eight touchdowns in two years with the Buccaneers, adding a touchdown reception in Super Bowl LV. He missed more than two months in 2021, sitting out due to both an ankle injury and a three-game suspension for misrepresenting his COVID-19 vaccination status.

Tampa enters Week 18 holding the No. 2 seed in the NFC at 12–4. They will host Carolina on Sunday, with kickoff slated for 1 p.m. ET. 

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