WIDE RECEIVER ANTONIO Brown said he tried to play through an injured ankle in Tampa Bay’s NFL game against the New York Jets and, when he couldn’t, the Buccaneers “threw me out like an animal.”

The reigning Super Bowl champions sacked Brown following an episode that saw the 33-year-old strip off his jersey and shoulder pads, wave to fans and exit the field.

In a statement released through his attorney on Wednesday, Brown said Tampa Bay coach Bruce Arians was aware of the ankle injury that had caused him to miss several games this season.

Brown said he injected a painkiller in an attempt to play Sunday but the injury became too intense.

Arians insisted Monday that he didn’t know that Brown was injured, and hoped he would “get help.”

But Brown said his exit had nothing to do with mental illness.

“I played until it was clear that I could not use my ankle to safely perform my playing responsibilities,” Brown said.

“On top of that, the pain was extreme,” he said, adding that he had exchanged texts with Arians about the injury days before the game.

One of the NFL’s most prominent and controversial figures, Brown has in recent years settled a rape lawsuit and was suspended for three games this season over a fraudulent Covid-19 vaccination card.

In his statement, Brown thanked the Buccaneers for helping him return to “productive football after I had difficulties that could have ended my career.”

He also claimed that Arians had already told him he was fired before he left the field on Sunday – not after.

“I was cut first and then I went home,” he said. “They threw me out like an animal and I refused to wear their brand on my body so I took my jersey off.”

Brown said he underwent an MRI exam on Monday that shows bone fragments in his ankle along with ligament damage and cartilage loss and plans to have surgery.

“Once my surgery is complete, I’ll be back to 100 percent and looking forward to next season,” he said. “Business gonna be BOOMIN!”

– © AFP 2022