Bucs' Bruce Arians opens up about recent health scare: 'Like two knives going in'

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Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians revealed this week he spent four days in a hospital last month after experiencing severe chest pains at his Florida home.

Arians, who now serves as the Bucs' senior football consultant after stepping down in March, told Ira Kaufman of JoeBucsFan.com he had a serious health scare the night before the Atlanta Falcons game, which resulted in a diagnosis of myocarditis. 

Bruce Arians, Tampa Bay Buccaneers senior football consultant, reacts to a play as quarterback Tom Brady (12) looks over the play from the bench against the New Orleans Saints during the first half at Caesars Superdome Sept. 18, 2022, in New Orleans. (Stephen Lew/USA Today Sports)

"We ate, and I got these pains way up here, like two knives going in. The more I tried to take a breath, the worse it got," he told the outlet. "I took some Tums, thinking it was indigestion, but it just got worse."

BRUCE ARIANS BLAMES TOM BRADY FOR BUCS’ EARLY STRUGGLES: ‘HE WAS PLAYING BAD’

Arians explained that he expressed concern to his wife before they eventually called 911. He was then transported to Tampa General. 

"Thankfully, the scans showed no fluid, no heart damage and absolutely no blockages," Arians continued. "They had a cardiac radiologist look at everything, and they ended up giving me anti-inflammatories."

Bruce Arians, former head coach and current senior adviser to the general manager, sits on the bench before a preseason game between the Miami Dolphins Aug. 13, 2022, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. (Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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Arians rejoined the team Oct. 27 but did not travel with them for Sunday’s game in London against the Seattle Seahawks. 

The longtime NFL head coach also addressed the Bucs' struggles this season, saying he didn’t believe blaming offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich was "fair." 

Head coach Bruce Arians of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers looks on against the Buffalo Bills during the third quarter at Raymond James Stadium Dec. 12, 2021, in Tampa, Fla.  (Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)

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"Nobody is going to say that (Tom) Brady was playing bad, but he was playing bad," Arians told the outlet. "We also had growing pains on a young offensive front, and we weren’t running well. There comes a time as a play-caller when you’re losing yards running the ball, and you say, ‘Forget this, I’m putting the ball in Tom’s hands.’"

The Bucs enter their bye week 5-5.