One Pro Football Hall of Famer believes Antonio Brown will never be able to shake off what he did when the now-former Buccaneers wide receiver was seen jogging out of MetLife Stadium in the middle of the team’s Week 17 game against the Jets.
In an interview with USA Today’s Jarrett Bell, six-time Pro Bowl running back Eric Dickerson said Brown’s decision to rip off his shirt and leave the field during the third quarter of that contest is something that will “follow him the rest of his life.”
“What Antonio Brown did was a bad decision that will follow him the rest of his life,” Dickerson, the Hall of Fame running back, told USA TODAY Sports. “When he’s my age, when he’s 61 years old, that will still follow him.
“Man, he’s such a good player. He works hard. There’s no doubt about his work ethic. But man, that other stuff, it’s like wow.”
Days after the incident, Brown was waved by the team. In the midst of that, he later called out the team for not caring that he was injured in that game.
The injury question struck a nerve with Dickerson as he recalled his final days with the Los Angeles Rams in 1987 that included coach John Robinson ordering him to play through a thigh injury in what turned out to be his final game with the team before he was traded to the Indianapolis Colts.
“I saw the Antonio Brown situation and I just felt like this: There were times when I hated the Rams,” Dickerson said. “I didn’t hate the team, I hated the organization, the way they were doing things. But I would never, ever leave the football field. I was always going to play hard. Look, you can have an issue with management, but you’ve got your teammates out there.”
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He understands the dynamics of what Brown is claiming as an injury-management issue.
“Let me tell you something,” Dickerson said. “I know how it works: They want your ass out there to play. They don’t care if you’re hurt or not. They don’t care. They really don’t. They want you to perform and then they’ll deal with the consequences later. If you can’t play ever again, but you can help them win that game, that’s fine. It’s on you. But I just felt he shouldn’t have done that.”
In 15 games with the Buccaneers, Brown totaled 87 receptions for 1,028 yards and eight touchdowns. In a statement released through his attorney, Brown said he plans to undergo surgery on his ankle and play again next season.
“Once my surgery is complete, I’ll be back to 100 percent and looking forward to next season,” Brown said. “Business gonna be boomin’!”
