Bucs' Mike Evans: Antonio Brown 'wanted the rock' before leaving field

Those not directly involved in the situation may never know all that happened in the days, hours, minutes, and seconds leading up to star wide receiver Antonio Brown leaving the MetLife Stadium field and seemingly quitting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers back on Jan. 2. 

Bruce Arians said later that week Brown was upset over a lack of targets, but the wideout has since insisted that is a "flat out lie" and that the Buccaneers head coach and company knew the 33-year-old was dealing with a physical issue related to the ankle injury he first suffered in October. 

Per Ryan Glasspiegel of the New York Post, current Buccaneers receiver Mike Evans recently spoke with Yahoo Sports about the infamous incident and, intentionally or not, backed Arians' story. 

"What I remember is we were trying to get him to come back in the game," Evans explained. "He was saying he wanted the rock. And I mean, rightfully so. We should get him the rock. I mean, he’s an unbelievable player. But like, yo, come in the game, AB. So we’re asking him to come in the game. We’re on offense. And I’m like, 'AB, big bro, come on. Let’s go in the game.' They’re calling for us, because me and him are both on the pitch count. Because we’re both coming back from injury. And so I’m trying to get him to come in the game. And he doesn’t come.

"So I go back on the drive. I do my two plays. I come out. And then I see [Tampa Bay coach Bruce Arians] still trying to get him to come in the game. And they had like a falling-out somehow. AB goes off. And he’s about to take his pads off. I’m trying to grab his pads and tell him like, 'yo, big bro.' Because me and him have a relationship." 

That relationship didn't prevent Brown from removing his jersey and pads and then storming off the field in what became his final public act as a Tampa Bay player. 

The then-defending champion Buccaneers ultimately fell to the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round of the NFC playoffs. Evans added during his comments that Brown "would have definitely helped us" during the playoffs, but Tampa Bay instead lost its last game and then its quarterback when Tom Brady retired at the age of 44.