Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady and coach Bruce Arians addressed the team’s on-going Antonio Brown drama Thursday — not long after the mercurial receiver was officially released.
“I think there’s a lot of personal — obviously — feelings,” Brady told reporters. “I don’t think it’s really a week to discuss it though.”
The quarterback’s remarks came a day after Brown accused the Bucs of trying to force him to play through an ankle injury — and a few hours after Brown targeted Brady, Arians, and Brady’s trainer Alex Guerrero in posts on Twitter and Instagram.
Brady continued to reiterate his support for Brown – who exited Sunday’s game against the Jets in spectacularly bizarre fashion – though he did not go into the situation further.
Arians, however, further detailed his side of the incident, in which Brown was seen looking agitated on the sideline. He ripped off his shoulder pads, and tossed his gloves and shirt into the crowd at MetLife Stadium, before he ran shirtless through the end zone to the locker room.
Tom Brady and Antonio Brown during Sunday’s Buccaneers-Jets game. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post“He was very upset at halftime about who was getting targeted — got that calmed down, players took care of that,” Arians said. “It started again on the sideline, we called for the personnel group he has played in the entire game, he refused to go in in the game. That’s when I look back and saw him asically wave off the coach. went back, approached him about what was going on. ‘I ain’t playing’ ‘What’s going on?’ ‘I ain’t getting that ball.’
“That’s when I said, ‘You’re done. Get the f–k out of here and that’s the end of it.'”
Bruce Arians had more to say about Antonio Brown than tight-lipped Tom Brady. Screengrabs/Buccaneers (2)Arians said he’s focused on the season finale against the Panthers and hopes the Brown situation “ends today.”
Brown claimed Wednesday night he was “cut” by Arians because he refused to play through the ankle injury, which the wideout says requires surgery.
“You can’t force a player to play,” Arians said Thursday. “They have that choice it’s their body. He decided to play… He participated in Saturday walk through like he was ready to go so there was never a question about it.”
Buccaneers GM Lason Licht told reporters Thursday that Brown and his agent requested the remaining $2 million in incentives in his contract be turned into guaranteed money.
Brown said he plans to undergo ankle surgery and return to the NFL at “100 percent.”
The NFL has not yet addressed Brown’s exit and allegations against the Buccaneers and Arians.
