Former Buccaneers wide receiver Antonio Brown, who was was released by the team after a dramatic exit in the middle of a game, decided to comment on the hot water his former coach finds himself in. A video of Tampa Bay coach Bruce Arians made the rounds on Twitter that showed the coach smacking safety Andrew Adams on the helmet during Sunday's wild-card game.
Brown responded to the video with just, “Pit not the palace,” the title of the rap song he released shortly after he left during the third quarter of a game against the Jets on Jan. 2. In the middle of the game, he took off his pads and shirt then jogged off the field.
It was later reported by NFL Network that Brown didn't believe his ankle was healthy enough to play after he had been nursing an injury. When asked why Brown exited, Arians said Brown was concerned about touches. Later, Brown released text messages purportedly sent to Arians that appeared to acknowledge Brown was dealing with the injury. In a statement, he also accused the team of a “cover-up” and that Arians pressured him to play in the game.
He went on to say he was injected with a “powerful and sometimes dangerous painkiller.” This directly contradicted Arians's postgame statement that Brown made no mention of the injury.
In a separate statement, Brown’s lawyer said he underwent an MRI, which revealed bone and ligament damage that would require surgery.
On Wednesday it was reported that Arians faces a $50,000 fine for the smack on one of his player's helmets, but he said he plans on appealing it.
“It ain't got nothing to do with the game,” Arians told reporters, per the Tampa Bay Times's Rick Stroud.
He declined to comment further.
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