Tom Brady was instrumental in Antonio Brown signing with the Patriots in 2019 and the Buccaneers last season when most of the NFL seemed uninterested in bringing in the controversial wide receiver. But after Sunday's game against the Jets, in which Brown took off his pads and left his team mid-game, even Brady caught some heat as the wide receiver fires back at the franchise. On Thursday, Brady was asked about how Brown has treated him this week.
“I think there's a lot of personal, obviously, feelings. I don't think this is really the week to discuss it though,” Brady said. “You know, I'm just going to do the best I can do quarterbacking the team, try to put together a great week, finish strong. You just always deal with different things over the course of the season. That's what we're doing this week."
Brown and his attorney released statements Wednesday night alleging the Buccaneers mistreated his ankle injury. Brown also released alleged text messages Brady's trainer and business partner, Alex Guerrero, on Thursday, in which Brown asks for half of an $100,000 payment back after appearing to break off a professional relationship.
During Thursday's press conference, Brady was asked if he was “hurt” by Brown's actions this week. Brady didn't go into detail, but admitted there were “personal feelings,” which he didn't feel were appropriate to dive into right now.
In his press conference Thursday, Arians claimed Brown was upset he wasn't being targeted enough during the game. Brown was close to reaching a number of contract incentives that could have paid out $1 million in total.
Brady weighed in on that idea from his perspective as quarterback.
“I think you always like to target—you know, you want to get everyone involved, obviously. I think the receiver position is always... they're a long ways from the football when you stand out there," Brady said. "As a quarterback you obviously do the best you can do. You try to read the coverage, you try to find the open guy, and you realize that guys are gonna be open, and unfortunately you don't get it sometimes. And other times you make bad reads and make bad throws, and it's part of playing football, playing quarterback.”
Brown was targeted five times in Week 17, catching three passes for 26 yards before exiting the game.
When asked if he was aware of Brown's claims that his ankle was too injured to play on, Brady said he was focused on his own job during the game.
Tampa Bay officially released Brown on Thursday morning.
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