The court of public opinion doesn't always wait for the truth and in the case of Antonio Brown's in-game exit, the statement released by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver on Wednesday undoubtedly portrays head coach Bruce Arians in a bad light.
Brown, while sharing his side of the story regarding the events that led to his third-quarter tantrum and ensuing exit, accused the Buccaneers of mischaracterizing his outburst as a "mental health issue," rather than a refusal to play because of pain.
Brown's refusal to play, according to the statement, was because the wideout was not fully healthy, something he had shared with Arians. The statement also said how Brown underwent an MRI on Monday which revealed the severity of his injury. It included broken bone fragments, a ligament torn from the bone and cartilage loss, according to the statement. Brown said he would have season-ending surgery.
It also shared a detailed exchange with Arians, again, which came from Brown's side.
"I took a seat on the sideline and my coach came up to me, very upset, and shouted, 'What's wrong with you? What's wrong with you?' I told him, 'It's my ankle.' But he knew that. It was well-documented and we had discussed it," the statement said. "He then ordered me to get on the field. I said, 'Coach, I can't.' He didn't call for medical attention. Instead, he shouted at me, 'YOU'RE DONE!' while he ran his finger across his throat. Coach was telling me that if I didn't play hurt, then I was done with the Bucs."
No player is allowed to be released by an organization because of an injury.
Brown also accused the Buccaneers of being injected with a "sometimes dangerous painkiller" that the NFLPA has warned against using.
Does Brown, who has had a plethora of off-the-field issues and has taken down countless innocent bystanders with his wake, deserve the benefit of the doubt? Well, that's debatable. And it's likely opinions on that topic vary drastically. But the reality is that those who do believe Brown now have a realistic and plausible explanation to point to while placing the blame on Arians.
It's obviously worth noting that Arians' side of the story is quite different.
Arians said Monday that he did not have a conversation with Brown about any injury immediately before the receiver took off his jersey, shoulder pads, undershirt and gloves in his tantrum. It came right before Brown ran off the Bucs sideline, through the end zone and then through tunnel at MetLife Stadium.
Arians was also asked if Brown told him about the injury, in which the coach responded, simply, "No."
FOX Sports NFL insider Jay Glazer reported Sunday how he spoke with Arians and explained how the head coach told Brown to leave the field when Brown refused to re-enter the game. That was corroborated by Brown's side in Wednesday's statement, one of the only aspects both sides are in agreement on.
It's fair to say the injury-related aspect is probably the most damning against Arians. He should, rather obviously, not be blamed for Brown running shirtless off the field. That was how Brown himself reacted. However, if what Brown is saying is truthful about the events that led up to that departure, Arians could be blamed for it.
It's also likely that Brown's camp files some type of grievance against Arians and the Buccaneers. After all, Wednesday's statement, along with the statement from Brown's lawyer, certainly don't seem like a group that is going to hold anything back.
Brown, it's worth noting, has not officially been released by the Buccaneers.
