Bucs WR Evans Finally Speaks On Antonio Brown Sideline Incident

It’s taken months, however lastly Mike Evans is talking in regards to the December sideline incident involving former Bucs wide receiver Antonio Brown. Throughout a victory over the Jets, Brown famously ripped off his tools and left the sideline. Bucs head coach Bruce Arians and Brown have since provided totally different accounts of what occurred. However final week, Evans’ model of occasions have been in step with his head coach’s account.

Evans was requested by Yahoo Sports’ Matt Harmon to relay his memory of the Brown incident. The star receiver recalled the scenario intimately, together with the genesis of Brown’s frustration.

“What I keep in mind is we have been attempting to get him to come back again within the recreation,” Evans stated. “He was saying he needed the rock. And I imply, rightfully so. We should always get him the rock. I imply, he’s an unbelievable participant. However like, yo, come within the recreation, AB. So we’re asking him to come back within the recreation. We’re on offense. And I’m like, ‘AB, huge bro, come on. Let’s go within the recreation’. They’re calling for us, as a result of me and him are each on the pitch depend. As a result of we’re each getting back from damage. And so I’m attempting to get him to come back within the recreation. And he doesn’t come.

“So I’m going again on the drive. I do my two performs. I come out. After which I see BA nonetheless attempting to get him to come back within the recreation. They usually had like a falling out one way or the other. AB goes off. And he’s about to take his pads off. I’m attempting to seize his pads and inform him like, ‘yo, huge bro’. As a result of me and him have a relationship.

“And I don’t need him to exit like this. Like we clearly we want him, so I’m telling him, ‘huge bro, we want you’. The season’s nearly over. Should you don’t need to be right here subsequent yr, you’ll be able to depart. You realize what I’m saying? Clearly I simply didn’t need him to exit like that. So I’m telling him, please don’t exit like this. They usually’re calling me to come back again within the recreation. So I simply left him alone.

“After which second, third down comes. We rating on that drive. However then on TV timeout, we see that he was doing all that stuff. Taking his pads off, doing leaping jacks and shit. It was unlucky. I didn’t know that it was going to go down like that. I imply, I believed we have been going to have an opportunity to go to the playoffs and doubtless repeat. And he would have undoubtedly helped us.”

Evans’ account of what occurred is carefully in step with Arians. He mentions that Brown was upset about not getting the ball sufficient within the first half. Unsurprisingly, Evans by no means mentions that Brown didn’t need to re-enter the sport due to an damage. That’s what Brown claimed after the sport. Nonetheless, Evans does point out the Bucs had each he and Brown have been on a pitch depend in order to not over-exert themselves getting back from accidents.

Always remember, the best irony is that Brown had extra targets than Evans and only one lower than Gronkowski at halftime. Regardless of being on a snap depend limitation attributable to his damage.

And naturally, there’s additionally this truth:

There was by no means actually any doubt on the Pewter Report workers’s half. However now it appears clear that Brown was mendacity about Arians’ pushing him to play regardless of an damage. Think about believing Brown’s story at any level on this course of. Couldn’t be us!

You possibly can watch the entire Yahoo Sports interview with Evans right here.