Bucs wide receiver Antonio Brown's shirtless midgame exit from the sidelines in Sunday's win over the Jets continues to fuel speculation over exactly what sparked the bizarre episode.
While some reports have suggested Brown was fuming over a relative lack of targets -- and even had a meltdown over it at halftime -- according to a report by Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, Brown was dealing with a nagging ankle injury and "probably never should have been on the field to begin with."
The mercurial wideout, who remains on Tampa's roster despite head coach Bruce Arian's postgame proclamation that Brown was "no longer a Buc," recently sought the medical opinion of a surgeon outside the Bucs' medical team, Stroud reported.
The consultation and an MRI confirmed Brown was in "serious pain," Stroud added.
The report seems to confirm the contours of an impending legal showdown between the Bucs and Brown, with Arians previously claiming Brown refused to re-enter the game at his request. The injury revelation could set the stage for the litigating of the incident, with Brown's camp potentially arguing that the team had forced him onto the field amid a spate of injuries to its pass-catching corps.
Despite the unseemly scene at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, ESPN's Josina Anderson reported on Tuesday that the surreal episode wouldn't be a career-ender for Brown, and that there will be suitors for his services if in fact the Buccaneers come to release him.
Meanwhile the Bucs' apparent hesitation in cutting Brown has fueled speculation that they don't want to see him on another contender come playoff time, or that quarterback Tom Brady has (once again) overruled Arians in demanding that he remain on the team.
Brady was said to have been one of the driving forces in the Bucs acquiring Brown last year, reuniting the future Hall of Famers after their brief and ill-fated stint in New England ended with Brown's release after just one game in 2019.
Brown, a 33-year-old four-time All-Pro, has seemingly worn out his welcome in all of his NFL stops, with increasingly bizarre and unpredictable behavior in recent years. His on-field brilliance with the Steelers ended in controversy and hard feelings with QB Ben Roethlisberger, while his act apparently wore thin with the Raiders and Pats, both of which cut him soon after acquiring him.
Upon Brown's signing last season -- after Arians had publicly dismissed the notion -- the head coach said Brown would be on a one-strike policy. Brown was an integral figure in the Bucs' Super Bowl title run, but his second season has been marred by injury and a three-game suspension for having submitted a fake proof-of-vaccination card.
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