Antonio Brown Claiming He Didn’t Quit on Buccaneers

It’s often said there are three sides to every story — both parties involved and the truth. Well, Antonio Brown is now telling his side of the story about what lead to the sideline blowup in the middle of the Buccaneers game against the Jets on Sunday.

Brown released a statement through his attorney Sean Burstyn claiming that he did not quit on his team when he abruptly took off his jersey and left the field after doing jumping jacks in the end zone.

According to Brown, Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians was trying to force him to go back in the game despite knowing the controversial receiver was hurt. Brown even mentions that he responded with a “I can’t” when told to take the field. Brown claims that Arians then shouted “you’re done!” while gesturing on his throat with his finger.

In the statement, Brown says the Buccaneers are now trying to paint the incident as a mental health issue and that’s simply a false narrative. Brown admits he has made mistakes in the past, but says he was triggered by being told his pain was not legitimate, a pain Brown classifies as “extreme.”

Brown, who is still officially a member of the Buccaneers despite Arians literally saying “he’s no longer a Buc” immediately following the game on Sunday, closes the door on any thoughts of him playing the rest of this season or postseason by announcing he is going to have surgery. He then closes the statement proclaiming he does plan to play next season and then adding the slogan he made famous during his All-Pro days in Pittsburgh, “business is boomin!”

While it’s impossible to truly know what actually happened at this point, the reaction to Brown telling his side of one of the most bizarre scenes in NFL history has certainly been mixed. Some are choosing to believe the aggrieved receiver and others are refusing to give Brown the benefit of the doubt based on his past.