Attorney: Brown’s claims match what Buccaneers have said in private

Antonio Brown and his legal team considering lawsuits against the organization.

There has been a lot shared on the Antonio Brown situation since the Buccaneers game against the New York Jets some weeks ago. Brown had been released, alleged texts have been shared through social media channels, and the team has stood by their side of things.

The former receiver has had many interview spots along with his attorney the past couple weeks, too, where they stand by his claims that Tampa Bay head coach Bruce Arians and the staff did not accept his inability to continue any further in the second half of their 28-24 win in New York due to an ankle injury.

In an advanced screening for “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel” on HBO, Brown and his attorney Sean Burstyn fielded some tough questions during an interview that will air during the episode.

In the interview, Gumbel brought up how the team states Brown never mentioned his injured ankle to head coach Bruce Arians nor the medical staff. Burstyn shared that they have documented evidence of Brown telling head coach Bruce Arians about his injured ankle while on the sidelines of the New York Jets game. He claims General Manager Jason Licht interviewed Arians that evening following the Jets game and texted the receiver’s camp with notes of the discussion between Licht and Arians, which included Brown’s claims of telling the coach on the sidelines of his injured ankle.

“Both sides, at least privately, are in agreement that Antonio’s ankle was injured and he directly told the team about it,” Burstyn stated during the interview.

Because of Brown’s past many have pointed to his sideline meltdown in New York as some kind of mental breakdown. And with that, Gumbel asked Brown that given his history many feel his claims lack credibility and sympathy. The veteran receiver disagreed with those statements.

“This isn’t about the past or credibility,” Brown said. “This is about a player being treated unfairly and unjustly.”

Brustyn would continue.

“People’s prejudices and unbiases because of his history or whatever they want to believe, it’s less surprising to us than the Bucs trying to spin that narrative which we know because they texted us. They are weaponizing mental health, everything people want to think about Antonio Brown, to cover up a really simple case — which is a player who gave it his all, gave his physical well-being for his team and got cut when he said ‘this is my limit and I can’t go further.’

“Everything [Antonio Brown] said matches exactly what the Bucs have put to us in writing, it matches the medical records, and it matches what the top surgeon, Dr. Martin O’Malley, told us when he reviewed Antonio’s contemporaneous MRI. In private there is a pretty clear matchup and where the Bucs go to the public and spin this as a mental health issue. And that didn’t come to us as a surprise that they would go there and ask us to not spin it any other way.”

According to Burstyn, Brown’s legal team will be considering several potential lawsuits, including defamation, both within the CBA and civil. He stated Brown will be looking for all his entitlements signed for in his contract and will hold to account the organization, Arians, Licht, and anyone else potentially responsible for the spin on Brown’s “mental fortitude” on playing football.

When Brown was asked how much he would be looking for, he stated “A whole lot” because it is “disrespectful” to throw around the case of mental health.

The interview will air in its entirety tonight at 10:00 p.m. ET on HBO.