The month is June. The year is 2025. And former Bucs wide receiver Antonio Brown is still posting on social media about the team.
I kid. But in February 2022, I’m unfortunately very serious. On Monday afternoon, Brown posted an X-ray of his injured ankle on Instagram with the following text blocks.
“They tried to hurt me intentionally @buccaneers”
“Sent me out there after knowing I was still hurt”
“Tom said he would throw it if I came to play hurt I came”
“He didn’t throw it. Imagine being hurt, having to play through this and being lied to”
“Coach said if I couldn’t run on this get the f**k out of here”
“F**k all you MF”
“Still can’t stop me @nfl”
Seven weeks after he left Bucs mid game, Antonio Brown posts this with an x-ray of his ankle today on Instagram. He had five targets in first half of the Jets game, one off the team high. pic.twitter.com/9AZjEDxs9l
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) February 21, 2022
Incredible stuff from Brown. This time around, he reiterates his story of the Bucs knowingly playing him hurt, while adding a larger accusation. In this post, Brown claims they tried to “intentionally” hurt him, despite his importance to their team. Remember, Chris Godwin was already lost for the season. Crazy strategy by the Bucs, per Brown.

Former Bucs WR Antonio Brown – FOX
Then, Brown goes on to admit that getting the ball more mattered to him. Previously, he and his lawyer claimed that had nothing to do with his sideline departure during the Bucs victory over the Jets. Instead, they claimed the All-Pro receiver was only mad about being asked to play through injury. During Super Bowl week, Mike Evans revealed that Brown was upset on the sideline about not getting enough targets.
The most laughable part about Brown’s frustration with targets is the fact he was second on the team in targets at halftime against the Jets. Despite being on a pitch count, Brown had five targets at the break. Tight end Rob Gronkowski had six, and Evans had four. Evans was also playing limited snaps while coming back from injury. The week before, Brown was targeted 15 times against the Panthers.
In fact, Brown spent the 2021 season enjoying by far the highest percentage of targets per snap in his career. Despite being on a team with Evans, Godwin and Gronkowski. He was also targeted far more often per snap than any of those three stars.
During the 2021 season, Antonio Brown was targeted on 30.2% of his passing play snaps.
That is by FAR the highest target share per passing snap of his career. Closest he ever got to that with Ben Roethlisberger was 27.6% in 2015. https://t.co/WaFpgkiF8Q
— Jon Ledyard (@LedyardNFLDraft) January 7, 2022
AB was targeted by Brady FAR more per pass play than any other receiver on the #Bucs
AB – 30.2% target share per passing snap
Evans- 16.6% target share per passing snap
Godwin – 21.3% target share per passing snap
Gronk – 19.6% target share per passing snap— Jon Ledyard (@LedyardNFLDraft) January 7, 2022
Again, if you’re trying to find logic in Brown’s approach, you’re going to be disappointed. This is just the latest in a long line of head-scratching and troubling incidents involving the star wideout.