Antonio Brown is setting the record straight when it comes to his mental health. The former Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver appeared on the I Am Athlete show with former NFL wide receiver Brandon Marshall, former NBA star Nick Young and former NFL defensive end Jared Odrick. Brown said there’s nothing wrong with him mentally and doesn’t understand why people would think otherwise.
“Why every time something happens bad, or how someone reacts, ‘Aw, he’s crazy, there’s something wrong with his mental health?’” Brown asked, per TMZ Sports. “There’s nothing wrong with my mental health. Someone told me to get the f— out of here. I’m not passive-aggressive.”
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Earlier this month, Brown was seen leaving the Buccaneers game against the New York Jets as it was still going on. As he was leaving the game, Brown took his jersey, pads and shirt off and started waving to the fans. The Bucs cut Brown a few days later, and during the interview on I Am Athlete, Brown talked about Bucs head coach Bruce Arians, saying he forced him to play despite dealing with an injury.
“An NFL Super Bowl team coach told a guy on the team who’s playing hurt ‘get the f— out of here,’” Brown stated. Shortly after the dramatic exit, Brown accused the Bucs of covering up the injury. “Because of my commitment to the game, I relented to pressure directly from my coach [Bruce Arians] to play injured,” Brown said through his attorney Sean Burstyn at the time. “Despite the pain, I suited up, the staff injected me with what I know was a powerful and sometimes dangerous painkiller that the NFLPA has warned against using, and I gave it all for my team.”
Brown signed with the Bucs in 2020 after playing only one game for the New England Patriots in 2019. He played in the second half of the 2020 season and helped the Bucs win a Super Bowl. Brown re-signed with the Bucs in April 2021 and finished the season with 42 receptions for 545 yards and four touchdowns.
“We all love him. We care about him deeply. We want to see him be at his best. Unfortunately, it won’t be with our team,” Bucs quarterback Tom Brady said earlier this month. “I think everyone should be very compassionate and empathetic toward some very difficult things that are happening.”
