When Antonio Brown ran through the end zone at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, doing jumping jacks and waving the peace sign to those in attendance, it certainly did not appear he was by any means hobbled by injury.
It made initial statements from Brown's camp -- reports that said Brown didn't return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Week 17 game prior to his in-game shirtless exit due to an ankle injury -- difficult to believe. It also made Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians fare better in the court of public opinion as Brown's tantrum was completely unjustifiable.
Brown, though, may have had his cause helped a bit Tuesday with a report from Tampa Bay Times reporter Rick Stroud.
Stroud reported Tuesday that those close to Brown were "worried about the pain he was experiencing so they encouraged the receiver to see a top surgeon outside the Bucs' organization." That visit and MRI, Stroud wrote, confirmed Brown's "serious pain."
Stroud further shared how Brown is known for having a "high pain threshold" but the belief is "Antonio probably should've never been on the field to begin with Sunday."
ESPN's Jenna Laine confirmed the doctors' visit and MRI, as well.
How may this help Brown's case, you may ask?
Well, if Brown was in fact injured and if that is the reason the wideout did not want to return to Sunday's game, it's fair to say that Arians was in the wrong for telling Brown to leave. Arians said after Brown's third-quarter departure (and victory that followed) that Brown was no longer a member of the team.
Brown still should be held accountable for quitting on his team and the theatrics that followed his exit. But at least the reasoning behind his frustrations will be viewed as more justifiable. And for some, it may completely change the narrative and paint both Arians and the Buccaneers in a bad light.
Those opinions probably should be held until further details arrive -- like the confirmation of a medical professional citing Brown's injury and subsequent pain. As of now, it's essentially the word of Brown's camp, which shouldn't be viewed as down the middle. But confirmation from that "top surgeon," if they do exist, would go a long way in helping Brown's argument.
Arians, for what it's worth, has told reporters that Brown's injury was not a topic of conversation before the receiver took off his jersey, shoulder pads, undershirt and gloves before running off Tampa's sideline and through the tunnel. Brown, who has not been released, was cleared to play in Sunday's game.
