How Injured Is Injured?
January 6th, 2022
Suspicious of Antonio Brown.
Interesting perspective from a former NFL player who nearly sacrificed his life — and lost his spleen — for the Bucs.
That would be former Bucs playoff quarterback Chris Simms.
Simms, now a regular co-host of PFT Live with the creator, curator and overall guru of Pro Football Talk, the great Mike Florio, discussed earlier this week the Bruce Arians-Antonio Brown hassle.
(As if no one knows what kind of dirtbag Brown is, this morning Brown published on social media the banking information — including routing number and account number — of Tom Brady’s trainer and a guy Brown once worked with, Alex Guerrero. Brown claims Guerrero owes him $100,000 for services not rendered. Joe can sympathize with Brown wanting his money back. Brown has bills to pay.)
Simms believes this whole dustup has the whiff of Brown being angered at not getting as many targets as he wanted due to the fact Brown has statistical incentives in his contract. Simms also openly questioned just how injured Brown was/is.
“I watched every route that Antonio Brown ran in that football game,” Sims said of the win over the Jets where Brown went mental and ended up doing topless jumping jacks in the end zone. “You don’t see a limp. He’s running routes great. You don’t see, really, anything.
“There is one route, a go-route, where you see a little bit of a hitch in his giddyup. I betcha no one would know but I know a little bit because I watch [the Bucs] on film and have watched [Brown] so much.
“He was still making unbelievable cuts.”
Brown was open on some routes where Brady chose to throw elsewhere, Simms noted, and Simms said you could tell Brown’s body language was of a little bit of disgust, almost like he was saying, “Tom, I was open, man.”
Simms added Brown’s last route was a go-route where he beat his man but Brady threw to the other side of the field on another go-route (Simms didn’t mention who the target was).
“He never came back in,” Simms said of Brown.
As for how bad Brown’s injury may have been, Simms was dubious.
“It’s not a good look when you are in the end zone jumping around and doing all of that,” Simms said. “Usually people with ankle injuries don’t do that.”
Florio added his “gut feeling” is that there is much more to this incident than we have all witnessed in the social media videos widely distributed.
Simms said knowing that Arians is such a players’ coach, it’s hard for him to believe Arians is the evildoer here. Simms said it has the smell that Brown was peeved because he had incentives in his contract that he was determined to reach and Brown felt the Bucs weren’t as motivated as he was to hit those goals.
“Knowing the history of the two guys, it makes me lean towards Bruce [as the victim] a little bit more than Antonio Brown,” Simms said.
As for why, technically, Brown is still on the Bucs roster (as Joe is typing this here post at 10:49 a.m. Thursday), Florio said it boils down to the Bucs don’t want to face Brown in the playoffs in 10 days or beyond.
“I think at the core, the Buccaneers don’t want to take that chance,” Florio said. “Bruce Arians and Jason Licht don’t want to have to explain to Tom Brady why Antonio Brown had 10 catches for 152 yards and two touchdowns in the NFC championship game that cost Tom Brady a chance to pursue his eighth Super Bowl. That’s what I think they are doing.”
Joe doesn’t doubt that one iota. In fact, it’s the smart play by Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht.
“I know people that have tried to help him and he’s fired them.” @AndrewBrandt discussing Antonio Brown on latest @RossTuckerPod
📺 https://t.co/Ns2SsfnplI pic.twitter.com/WlNDu8cHXs
— Ross Tucker Podcast (@RossTuckerPod) January 6, 2022
January 6th, 2022 at 11:08 am
If his money is guaranteed, they have every right to hold onto him and keep him away from another team. This is just being smart.
January 6th, 2022 at 11:10 am
Famous coaches line – “are you hurt or are you injured?”
Nearly every player in the NFL is “hurting” this time of year…
AB is now realizing how bad he screwed up and is attempting to blame everyone else except himself and his insane bipolar schitzo behaviour.
January 6th, 2022 at 11:12 am
If Brown thinks he has bills to pay now, just wait a few months. He will be sued from all sides.
I also watched Brown’s routes. He ran okay, but his routes went to wrong direction several times. Going inside when the play looks like it was built for outside means that the receivers mind was elsewhere.
I have no idea where Brown’s mind was, but this whole thing looks like Arians was feeding him lots of rope. It might also be that Divas don’t like to be ignored, but a narcissistic Diva gets back at being ignored.
January 6th, 2022 at 11:14 am
Antonio Brown is a walking cautionary tale. In a few years we’re going to be reading stories about how he’s penniless and adrift.
January 6th, 2022 at 11:15 am
This guy’s a pos! I was thinking maybe this had to do with his incentives behind hit. I still find it hard to believe with this injury.
January 6th, 2022 at 11:18 am
Pay him go away money.
January 6th, 2022 at 11:21 am
We’ll miss his play but not him.
January 6th, 2022 at 11:27 am
Joe doesn’t think that is an easy or cheap answer. LOL
January 6th, 2022 at 11:27 am
I listened to this “piece” and what stuck out to me was flip flopping Florio. He led the charge to have Brown dismissed due to the fake vaccine card…and wouldn’t let it go. Now…he paints BrownEye as somewhat of a victim. Kinda makes sense from a lifelong, tortured Vikings fan. He clearly hates both Brady and The Bucs if you listen to him for any length of time.
January 6th, 2022 at 11:27 am
Cole Beasley played a Bills playoff game with a broken LEG. (Fibula, fractured of presume)
“It was bad the first game I played, but after that… it’s kind of, you take a few meds and suck it up,” Beasley said.
January 6th, 2022 at 11:29 am
I’ll bet McVay, Lafleur, Mccarthy & Shanahan have already called to sympathize and befriend him, then POW let’s go over the play book. If he’s posting bank routing numbers and account #’s going over the playbook is a given. The last guy that dissed Guerrero is coaching a rookie QB in the AFC. I still don’t believe BA is 100% innocent and this should of never left the locker room after the half but AB is the ultimate Dbag. All Brady did for this guy was to help him make money. Wouldn’t surprise me if Brady writes AB the $100k check. He probably won’t transfer it.
January 6th, 2022 at 11:29 am
Here’s my theory after hearing Pat McAfee and other reports.
– Pissed that the GM and HC didn’t say “ we want/need AB back after his suspension”
– Balled out the 1st game back and felt like “ya you need me”
– Gronk was getting more targets and AB wasn’t while they were trailing the jets and banged up, but pushing through the ankle injury which took a shot at his ego even more
– BA calls for him to go in after he is brewing and tells coach “I’m hurt” without going to the trainers and following the protocol if claiming injury
– BA screams “your done” and that when AB goes bananas
Now he claims this overblown injury (which everyone knew he had an ankle ailment he was working through) to save face and help his case for next season with a new team. #ABgate
January 6th, 2022 at 11:30 am
Could be AB said if you aint gonna use me, I aint playing.
I remember acting that way in recess when I didnt get the ball enough. That was way back when I was 8 and had the same maturity as Brown now.
January 6th, 2022 at 11:31 am
AB would have been cut after the fake vax if Godwin and Evans weren’t hurt.AB was pissed he was out there and not getting the ball when he had incentives to meet. No one else wanted him and this is how the Bucs are repayed? It really sucks because we needed him. What an idiot.
January 6th, 2022 at 11:39 am
You absolutely can’t look at this situation from the logic of a mature adult. This is what it looks like when 4 year olds don’t get their way.
January 6th, 2022 at 11:41 am
@ Clod
it’s possible but AB had 5 targets (3 rec for 26 yards) before he flipped out with a quarter and a half left to go…
I think AB has severe mental issues and he got triggered (probably because he was not going to hit $1 million in incentives) and lost his shizzle.
Now he is grasping at straws trying to cover up for his insane behavior. Nobody wants to buy his new crappy rap album. Now he realizes he just screwed himself out of another nice payday next season.
January 6th, 2022 at 11:44 am
@ Clod
Even AB’s brother stated publicly that this public insanity was due to AB not being able to reach three incentives (recptions, TDs and yardage) that were each worth $333,000.
January 6th, 2022 at 11:51 am
THIS GUY IS THE WORST …
Vax card, quitting mid-game, injury allegation.
That’s just the last two weeks.
He’s a non-stop headache.
Enjoy your settlement because you’re done in the NFL.
January 6th, 2022 at 11:52 am
Well we had enough evidence for 4 years before AB got here. AB is totally normal by his standards. We knew what AB was before he got here. This isn’t AB fault. He was being himself. With saying this, it’s up to Tom Brady and assistant HC BA and Assistant GM Licht that made this decision. Yea yes yes we got a SB out of the deal but this will linger longer than the SB win people will forget that SB but rather harp on this like myself
January 6th, 2022 at 11:53 am
I don’t like individual incentive-laden contracts. It can mess up game strategies. Ban them.
January 6th, 2022 at 11:55 am
Bill Barry is the best Trauma surgeon ever-he saved Chris Simms life and my wifes’. Good Trauma Surgeons are true life savers and so underpaid.
January 6th, 2022 at 12:00 pm
Panhandle, you skipped one important point, this back and forth was going on during half time. If AB had 3 catches targeted 5 times
and 26 yds and all he needed was 8 catches & 55 yds and a TD with a whole 1/2 left, DOWN 2 scores, why would AB think he couldn’t get his incentives? If AB was in the game, Brady ain’t going to Grayson.
January 6th, 2022 at 12:02 pm
His behavior exhibits Bipolar symptoms – mood swings, grandiose feelings, irrational behavior – not know his family but it usually runs in the family.
January 6th, 2022 at 12:02 pm
Hey, you know who could’ve helped AB reach his incentives EASILY?! AB!
Who got suspended for not following NFL rules? Who’s fault was that?
Personal accountability. Enough with the excuses.
January 6th, 2022 at 12:05 pm
It’s always someone else’s fault with AB. I would like to see the medical on his ankle though. The bucs were kissing this guys ass right up until he refused to play. It proves how desperately they needed him. When you lay down with dogs, you get fleas. The bucs and Brady deserve what they get in the playoffs.
The ass kissing from Alex Guerrero is priceless also. “Your a great human being AB” really Alex.
January 6th, 2022 at 12:11 pm
Marine
Yeah that’s what I think. He wanted those incentives and was getting ticked he wasn’t getting targeted as much as he wanted and had a fit.
January 6th, 2022 at 12:15 pm
Too bad AB had to pull an AB!! He’s going to miss out on a chance for another ring!! All said and done, AB is just a very talented BIG BABY!! NOT A TEAM PLAYER!! “Give me the ball or I’m going home!”. He pulled that last year and Rojo missed out on a 1000 yd season!!! This year would have worked out for him again but his NON TEAM attitude got in the way! The BUCS will WIN without you AB!!!!
January 6th, 2022 at 12:21 pm
AB will be in jail soon. Calling it now
January 6th, 2022 at 12:23 pm
My theory is BA warned Tom before the game that he should not target Ab frequently like he favor AB last year. That triggered the outburst of AB because he thought Tom was always in his side, butTon is always nice to the coach and mostly abide their orders.
I think a team achievement is a better indicator for individual incentives. The. The players will always follow the guide and play for each other.
January 6th, 2022 at 12:31 pm
Ben would like some questions answered. One, did AB take a needle before the game, or at halftime? It would explain a great many things. They always gave us the option of a needle before the game, or at halftime because it only works for about two quarters. Ben’s witnessed one guy playing on a broken ankle. At halftime they gave him 15 aspirin, a huge shot of toradol and an even bigger shot of novacaine. B. Why would the bucs worry about 300k? They kissed his ass all season, so that conspiracy theory doesn’t fly. Three, what was the exact extent of the ankle injury? Ben’s heard everything from high ankle, to floating bone fragments. These things show up on MRI and x-ray.
January 6th, 2022 at 12:51 pm
Ben, I have direct involvement with “shots” before games.
They work in some situations to release pain, like joints on a lineman.
But an ankle of a twitchy receiver? Not good. If the area is deadened, even muscles don’t respond well.
January 6th, 2022 at 12:59 pm
If his dumb ass wouldn’t have been suspended for 3 games because of his fake V card, the guy would have collected his bonuses easily… but that’s someone else’s fault right! !
January 6th, 2022 at 1:05 pm
Cobra, lidocaine and cortisone shots were given to recievers with ankle injuries on a routine basis. Not sure of you’re direct involvement, but I’ll take your word and defer
January 6th, 2022 at 1:11 pm
Chris Simms is partially tarded, but is quite the football savant, and generally has some really good takes on stuff.
This makes me feel better, if Brown was acting out because Brady wasn’t targeting him, the Brady is going to be p/o’d at him, and isn’t going to blame Arians or the team. That’s great news.
The idea of doing jumping jacks meaning you’re not injured is really stupid however. Adrenaline is a real thing and you can do all sorts of stuff in the moment if you got yourself all worked up. People using this as proof he isn’t injured, that’s really really dumb.
But the rest of that is interesting. I had not seen the coaches cam so I didn’t see Brown acting out. If that’s true, and I believe Simms if he says it happened, then again, that relieves my biggest fear, that Brady would eventually blame Arians and the team.
January 6th, 2022 at 1:19 pm
Ben: my direct involvement is me and many years of lockerroom life as a player, including pro ball, and a few years as a grad asst. in college ball.
You can deaden, but that also affects muscles in an area. Think of how your facial muscles are affected in even minor dental surgery.
In a bowl game, we had a center, a senior playing his last game forever, who mangled some fingers. He got a halftime shot in two fingers. He could not grip the football, not because of pain, but because his hand muscles didn’t work as needed, and the first snap was fumbled. That’s just one example.
I had a painful hip pointer (last time with no hip pads) and got a shot of lido at halftime. The muscles in my upper leg did not respond normally and I couldn’t play. I had no pain, but had no quick-twitch, either.
You’ll see very few skill players getting shots.
January 6th, 2022 at 1:23 pm
@ Rod: if you’re pumped up on adrenalin to do jumping jacks in the end zone pain-free, then you’re pumped up on adrenalin enough to go into the game.
Occam’s Razor tells me that when the dust settles, Brown will have damaged his “brand” far worse than he realizes.
Prediction: Antonio Brown will end up in prison.
January 6th, 2022 at 1:37 pm
Cobraboy – that’s literally NOT how adrenaline rushes work.
Because a mother can lift a car because her kid is stuck under it, doesn’t mean she can lift a car at any time under any conditions.
I can’t believe that people don’t understand such a simple concept.
January 6th, 2022 at 1:39 pm
I played in the league also cobra, not a skill position but as a strong safety. The shots always worked well for me. My liver is screwed because of the toradol, but I digress. You obviously have more knowledge so as I said I defer. Steve young once told me that without toradol and novacaine, he couldn’t have played most weeks
January 6th, 2022 at 1:42 pm
Everyone is playing injured and AB being the vet he is, definitely knows the procedures for what to do if injured to where he can’t perform….yet he doesn’t do a single one. My guess is he tried to hold the team hostage with getting his targets the Thursday before…then came the game, he’s pouting in the pregame and still nothing changed so he melts down. It wouldn’t shock me if he was intentionally running wrong routes in the Jets game which lead to even less targets.
It was only a matter of time….oh well
January 6th, 2022 at 2:44 pm
Bobby a difference exists between hurt and injured. At this stage of the season, basically everyone is playing hurt. Injured is different. I’m not saying he was injured because I haven’t seen the medical. But bouncing around before leaving the stadium, is a lot different than pushing off, and running routes
January 6th, 2022 at 7:54 pm
He was jealous of Mike getting some throws with the record ….. Period !!!
January 6th, 2022 at 11:01 pm
Who knows what further damage Antonio may have done to his ankle with all that jumping around? Not to mention, “knowing” his propensities, who’s to say he didn’t purposefully further injure his ankle at some point before his Monday morning MRI? He is a dishonest man, and that is a proven fact.
January 7th, 2022 at 11:16 am
Nobody will pick this idiot up!! He’s so arrogant he thinks some other team is just drooling over the chance to sign him!!… If someone does that’s it for me! As a lifelong lover of the game who played all the way into college, I will no longer watch football!! I stopped watching the NBA for the same reason!! … “Shut up and dribble” was probably the best explanation I’ve ever heard about how I feel about it … You’re in a position to play a dang game that millions of people would sell their soul to have the chance for and you act like whiny little girls!!.. FORGET that man!! .. I’m tired of these millionaires acting like we’re supposed to give a dam about what they think or do!! You can run fast with a football or dribble a basketball really good… Good for you!! … Now run into a burning building to save a person you don’t know! … Most of these players wouldn’t spit on you if you were on fire!! Many in the NBA have attacked fans!! And THEY ALL say the same thing… “He called me the N word” …. Whaaaaaatever!! Your just arrogant babies who have been coddled most their teenage to adult life cuz they could run fast!! So when a fan says something and you’re having a bad game you lose all impulse control because everything you’ve done in life has been overlooked and go fight a fan half your size!! … These guys have started making too much money! Money turns bad people into criminals!!