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Bruce Arians 'Hurt' by Claims of Antonio Brown

Bruce Arians gives his side of the story in the Antonio Brown saga.

John Maakaron

In this story:

Bruce Arians, head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, has now had the opportunity to address the allegations made by Antonio Brown, regarding what transpired on the sideline in Week 17 against the New York Jets. 

“He was very upset at halftime about who was getting targeted. Got that calmed down, players took care of that. It started again on the sideline. We called for the personnel group that he had played in the entire game. He refused to go in the game," Arians told reporters. "That’s when I looked back and saw him basically wave off the coach. I then went back, approached him about what was going on. ‘I ain’t playing.’ What’s going on? ‘I ain’t getting the ball.’ That’s when I said, ‘You’re done, get the eff out of here.'”

Arians was also asked about the throat-slash gesture, but it was suggested that the motion was telling Brown to leave the area. 

“You can’t force a player to play,” Arians continued. “I mean, they have that choice. It’s their body. He decided to play. He and Mike (Evans) both were on pitch counts. And we were trying to manage that the best we could in the first half.”

The Buccaneers were one of the few teams to reach out and take a chance on Brown. So, the fallout has been disappointing for all involved. 

Arians expressed that he was "hurt" by the allegations made by the talented wideout.

"I'm hurt, but I still wish the best for him," he said. "Just get the help you need."

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John Maakaron
JOHN MAAKARON

John Maakaron has covered Detroit Sports since 2013. Brings a vast array of experience covering the Detroit Tigers, Detroit Lions, Michigan Wolverines, Michigan State Spartans, Detroit Mercy Titans, and Oakland University Golden Grizzlies. John brings a wealth of sports broadcast experience. In 2013, John had the vision to establish the Detroit Sports Podcast Network. Has recorded over 3000 podcasts analyzing Detroit Sports. In 2019, Sports Illustrated Media Group, a historical sports media outlet, partnered with Detroit Sports Podcast to provide daily Lions content for their growing and expanding digital media outlet. Our Lions content can also be read in the newspaper at The Oakland  Passionate about Detroit Sports and it is reflected in his coverage of the local teams!

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