During the Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs New York Jets game, Bucs wide receiver Antonio Brown walked out of the field. But why did he do that?
According to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, midway through the game yesterday, Bruce Arian’s offensive staff told Brown to go into the game that they believed that he was healthy. Antonio Brown did not believe that he was healthy. He had been battling an ankle injury for the last several weeks and did not practice Thursday or Friday.
He told the staff that he was not going into the game, because in his mind, he did not feel he was healthy, according to Rapoport.
“The response then from the offensive coaches and from Bruce Arians was, if you are not going to go into the game, when we tell you to go into the game, then you cannot be here,” said Rapoport.
Then Antonio Brown removed his jersey equipment and walked out of the field.
Brown had needed eight more catches to unlock a $333,333 contract bonus, 55 more receiving yards to unlock another $333,333 bonus, and only one more receiving touchdown to unlock one more $333,333 bonus. All three bonuses would have amounted to $1 million.