Bucs' Bruce Arians on Antonio Brown following meltdown: 'I do care about him'

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians did his best to explain what occurred with Antonio Brown on the sideline before the wide receiver decided to leave the team midgame and wished the best for him.

Brown took off his gear and waved goodbye to the fans at MetLife Stadium before running into the tunnel. Arians was hot on Sunday after the incident, telling reporters Brown was "no longer a Buc."

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians on Dec. 12, 2021 at Raymond James Stadium. (Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports)

A bit cooler on Monday, Arians said he wished Brown well. He said it was "very hard" to make the decision to bar the wide receiver from the team.

"I wish him well. I hope if he needs help, get some. It’s very hard because I do care about him," Arians said.

The coach didn’t exactly go into detail about what happened. As reports circulated about Brown being concerned about his ankle, Arians denied there was any kind of dispute over his health.

He said he and Brown had a conversation but wouldn’t dive into what the two talked about.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Antonio Brown wipes his face as he leaves the field after throwing his equipment into the stands while his team is on offense during the third quarter of an NFL football game against the New York Jets, Sunday, Jan. 2, 2022, in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Andrew Mills/NJ Advance Media via AP)

ANTONIO BROWN'S CONCERN OVER ANKLE INJURY LED TO SUDDEN DEPARTURE: REPORT

"Once he left the field, I never saw him again," Arians said, adding that nobody reached out to him from Brown’s team about the incident.

As far as injury concerns go, Brown was listed on the Week 17 injury report as questionable with an ankle issue. He was limited in practice on Wednesday but did not practice Thursday or Friday. He appeared to be fine in Week 16 against the Carolina Panthers when he had 10 catches for 101 yards.

Week 16 was the first game he played since Week 6. Brown had been battling injuries all season and was also suspended three games after it was discovered he used a fake vaccine card to skirt the league’s health and safety protocols.

Antonio Brown #81 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers looks on against the New York Jets during the game at MetLife Stadium on Jan. 2, 2022 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Elsa/Getty Images)

Arians said he had no regrets about bringing Brown onto the team in 2020.

"No, none whatsoever. I care about him a bunch. I hope that he’s OK," he said.

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Brown hasn’t given a legitimate reason for his outburst and departure from the team.