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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had been unable to repeat as Tremendous Bowl champions, as they fell to the eventual Tremendous Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams within the divisional spherical. The Bucs had been hurting on the offensive aspect of the ball within the postseason, as Tom Brady was working behind a banged-up offensive line, Chris Godwin was out for the yr with a torn ACL and Antonio Brown determined to stop the staff proper earlier than the playoffs.
It was one of many highlights or lowlights of the 2021 NFL season, as Brown took off his pads and jersey midgame towards the New York Jets in Week 17, and ran off the sphere whereas thrilling the followers in attendance. Just lately, Buccaneers broad receiver Mike Evans revisited that wild Sunday with Yahoo Sports activities, and he mentioned Brown was wanting the ball earlier than his dramatic exit.
“What I keep in mind is we had been attempting to get him to return again within the recreation,” mentioned Evans. “He was saying he wished the rock, and I imply rightfully so, we must always have gotten him the rock — I imply he is an unbelievable participant. Like ‘Yo, come within the recreation AB.'”
Each Evans and Brown had been on a pitch depend since they had been getting back from accidents, and the teaching employees was attempting to get Brown to return to the sport. Evans went in for his reps, after which got here again to the sideline to see Brown nonetheless agitated.
“I see (Bruce Arians) continues to be attempting to get him to return within the recreation, they usually had a falling out in some way and AB goes off and he is about to take his pads off,” mentioned Evans.
Evans then recounted he went as much as Brown and urged him to maintain his cool.
“I do not need him to exit like this,” Evans mentioned. “Clearly we’d like him, so I am telling him ‘Massive bro we’d like you. The season is sort of over. For those who do not need to be right here, then subsequent yr you possibly can depart.’
“I am telling him, ‘Please do not exit like this.'”
“I imply it was unlucky,” mentioned Evans. “I did not know that it was going to go down like that. I believed we had an opportunity to go to the playoffs and doubtless repeat, and he would have positively helped us.”
Evans mentioning Brown wanting the “rock” is attention-grabbing, because it’s one thing head coach Bruce Arians additionally informed reporters when Brown was launched. He claimed that Brown was very upset at halftime, and it needed to do with who was getting focused within the passing recreation. Brown was requested about this throughout an interview on HBO’s “Actual Sports activities with Bryan Gumbel,” and he mentioned the declare was false.
“It isn’t worrying concerning the ball,” mentioned Brown. “Tom Brady is my man, he is the rationale I am on Tampa Bay so I do know I will get the ball.”
Brown’s exit was most likely resulting from a mixture of various components, and the way his ankle harm was dealt with was actually a major one. Nevertheless, it sounds just like the pitch depend and goal share might have been a difficulty as nicely.
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