Latest Antonio Brown injury update puts Bucs’ exit in perspective

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Antonio Brown was reportedly dealing with what could be a major ankle injury when he left the game on Sunday.

Brown was initially ridiculed by the national media, and given the information at their disposal, it’s easy to see why. Yet, as teammate Tom Brady and others have suggested, it’s best to let the entire story materialize before making such a judgement.

“Antonio’s friends were worried about the pain he was experiencing so they encouraged him to see a top surgeon outside the Bucs’ organization. That visit and an MRI confirm his serious pain…” Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reported.

Per Stroud, Brown is known for having a “high pain threshold,” so sometimes he plays through injuries he shouldn’t. During Sunday’s game against the New York Jets, even he was feeling that pain. Brady commented on Brown’s exit on Tuesday:

"“I’ve known Antonio for a couple years now, you know, pretty closely,” he said. “We’ve obviously been teammates and I would just say I love him, I care about him, and I have a lot of compassion. I have a lot of empathy for the things that are happening in his life. So, it’s a lot of challenges we all face from time to time. I think the best thing is to have a support system, even outside of football, because again, yeah, we are football players, we’re athletes, we give everything we can on the field, but we also have off field lives, too. And I’m gonna continue to do everything I can to try to be a great friend and supportive to Antonio and the things he’s going through.”"

Antonio Brown injury update: Will another team give AB a chance?

If Brown’s exit turns out to be a giant injury misunderstanding, then perhaps. This isn’t the first time Brown has dealt with an unfortunate exit.

Brown is the same man who forced his way out of Pittsburgh, and then Las Vegas. His friendship with Brady landed him another chance in New England and then Tampa Bay, but per coach Bruce Arians, he’s not longer a member of the Bucs. Yet, Tampa has yet to officially drop him from the roster.

The long, confusing situation surrounding Brown is slowly trickling out, and if we’ve learned anything over the last few days, perhaps we can reserve judgement. If anything is certain, it’s that Brown’s 2021-22 season is over.