Antonio Brown seems hell bent on trying to bring down Bruce Arians and the entire Bucs organization after he was released from the team.
In the weeks since his release, Brown has done several media appearances in an attempt to tell his side of the story after the world watched him strip on the sidelines, toss his gear into the stands at MetLife Stadium and jog off the field while his team was on offense against the Jets.
On Tuesday, “Real Sports” issued a tweet saying Bryant Gumbel interviewed Brown after his release and the show will debut tonight.
Here is the transcript of that interview:
BRYANT GUMBEL: According to the team– you didn’t say anything to either Coach Bruce Arians or the team’s medical personnel– on– during the game or on the sidelines on January 2nd. True or false?
ANTONIO BROWN: False.
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SEAN BURSTYN: We actually, Bryant, have documentary and contemporaneous evidence that Antonio did tell Bruce Arians that his ankle was hurt on the sideline. Because the general manager of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers interviewed Bruce Arians the Sunday night shortly after the game and texted our camp the notes from that interview, which state that Bruce Arians told the GM that Antonio complained on the sideline about his ankle injury. So there’s no question. I think both sides, at least privately, are in agreement that Antonio’s ankle was injured and he directly told the team about that.
BRYANT GUMBEL: Arians says, that when he told you to go in the game you said nothing about pain or injury. True?
ANTONIO BROWN: Untrue. Man, I told him my ankle. And he said, “What?” He said, “Get the fuck outta here, you’re done.”
BRYANT GUMBEL: He said you said, quote, “I ain’t playing. I ain’t gettin’ the ball.” Is that a lie?
ANTONIO BROWN: No, no. That’s a lie.
BRYANT GUMBEL: Flat out lie.
ANTONIO BROWN: Flat out lie.
BRYANT GUMBEL: So what possessed you then to do what you did?
ANTONIO BROWN: You know, what would you do? I was hurt. At that point, you know, I don’t wanna wear your equipment. I don’t wanna be affiliated with the logos and, you know, I– I just took it off and– and got outta there.
BRYANT GUMBEL: Given your history– is it any wonder that most observers think your arguments lack both credibility and sympathy?
ANTONIO BROWN: I mean, this ain’t about no past and no credibility. It’s about a player getting treated– getting treated unfairly and unjustly.
BRYANT GUMBEL: Prior to the game on January 2nd, the game against the New York Jets– at the Meadowlands– were you given shots of Toradol?
ANTONIO BROWN: Absolutely. Right before the game I was given Toradol.
SEAN BURSTYN: We actually have, Bryant, in the medical records that we’ve reviewed, evidence that the team regularly injected Antonio with Toradol. So he couldn’t feel the damage that he was doing to his ankle until it got to that threshold point where he told his coach, “Coach, I can’t play because of my ankle.” And the coach’s response to that was, “Get the eff off the field.”
BRYANT GUMBEL: Okay, so– so the Bucs shot you with Toradol in the week before– before the Carolina game, correct?
ANTONIO BROWN: Absolutely.
BRYANT GUMBEL: They shot you again before the Jets game, correct?
ANTONIO BROWN: Absolutely.
BRYANT GUMBEL: And Arians claims that at halftime then you were upset about not getting ball– more balls thrown your way. True or false? Is he lying?
ANTONIO BROWN: False. it’s not worryin’ about the ball. Tom Brady is my guy. He’s the reason I’m on Tampa Bay, so I know I’m gonna get the ball.
ANTONIO BROWN: Yeah, these guys at Tampa Bay Bucs tried to make an agreement with me to give me $200,000 to go to the crazy house so these guys could look like they know what they’re talking about.
BRYANT GUMBEL: They offered you $200,000 for what?
SEAN BURSTYN: The off– the offer was Antonio would basically sit on the sidelines, go on some list– and commit himself to some form of intensive mental health treatment. And we were specifically told, in writing, by the general manager, twice, “Don’t spin this any other way.”
BRYANT GUMBEL: Are you suggesting–that a defamation lawsuit is– is possible?
SEAN BURSTYN: Defamation comes to mind.
BRYANT GUMBEL: Your figures, give me a number.
ANTONIO BROWN: A whole lotta money. A whole lot. It’s– it’s totally disrespect, man. You know, it’s– mental health is an important key in the world, so to drag people along and play on people’s mental health, you know, it’s– it’s unfair and unfortunate.
Aside from exposing the Bucs, the controversial wide receiver said during an appearance on the I Am Athlete podcast that the next quarterback he wants to play for is Lamar Jackson, a sentiment that Jackson shared as well.
Brown joined the Buccaneers in 2020 after missing the first eight games of the season due to a suspension for violations of the NFL’s personal conduct policy. He caught 45 passes for 483 yards and two touchdowns in the final eight games of the regular season.
The 33-year-old caught 42 passes for 545 yards and four scores through seven games in 2021.
