A member of the Professional Football Hall of Fame believes Antonio Brown will never be able to shake the image of the now-former Buccaneers wide receiver running out of MetLife Stadium in the middle of the team’s Week 17 game against the Jets.
In an interview with Jarrett Bell of USA TodaySix-time Pro Bowl running back Eric Dickerson said Brown’s decision to remove his jersey and walk off the field during the third quarter of that contest is one that “will follow him for the rest of his life.”
“When he’s my age, when he’s 61, that will still follow,” Dickerson said. “Man, he’s such a good player. He works hard. There’s no question about his work ethic. But man, those other things, it’s like wow.”
Tampa Bay coach Bruce Arians told reporters immediately after the game that Brown was “no longer a Buc,” and the team officially released him a few days later. Brown took to social media to argue that he was dealing with an ankle injury and physically unable to act, but the Buccaneers claimed Brown was cleared to play. They also said that Brown never told the medical staff that he couldn’t play.
In his upcoming book “Watch My Smoke,” Dickerson claims that Rams coach John Robinson ordered him to play with a thigh injury in his last game with the team. Dickerson told Bell that while his relationship with the Rams did not end on good terms before Los Angeles sent him to Indianapolis in 1987, the idea of simply leaving the field never crossed his mind.
“I saw the Antonio Brown situation and it 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 did things. But I would never, never leave the football field. I was always going to play hard. Look, you may have a management problem, but you have your teammates. team out there …
“Let me tell you something. I know how it works: they want you to play with your butt. They don’t care if you’re hurt or not. They don’t care. They don’t really care. They want you.” to act and then deal with the consequences later. If you can’t play anymore, but you can help them win that game, that’s fine. It depends on you. But I felt like I shouldn’t have done that. “
In 15 games with the Buccaneers, Brown had 87 receptions for 1,028 yards and eight touchdowns. In a statement released through his lawyerBrown said he plans to have ankle surgery and play again next season.
“Once my surgery is complete, I will be back 100 percent and I look forward to next season,” Brown said. “Business is going to be booming!”