Long flight might keep Buccaneers WR Antonio Bryant grounded

Bucs WR Antonio Bryant can't commit to playing Sunday because of a setback in his left knee injury that has lingered since a preseason arthroscopic surgery.

Bryant believes the 9-hour flight home from London caused the extensive swelling he suffered last week. He hasn't felt well enough to practice Thursday or today. Now, he'll have to decide whether he feels it's prudent to push himself through a game at less than full health given the constant setbacks with the knee.

"It doesn't do me any good to go out there and be good for a couple of games and then be right back in the same situation," he said. "I just have to sit on it."

Bryant said he feels he has a chance to play Sunday against the Packers in rookie QB Josh Freeman's debut. But he probably won't know until he's evaluated before kickoff.

As for his decision not to practice during the last two workouts, he made reference to his lack of a long-term contract, jokingly saying, "I'm not Michael Clayton." Bryant is on a one-year franchise-player tender that pays him $9.88 million guaranteed but offers not assurances beyond this season.Clayton received a five-year deal in the offseason.

About the swollen knee, Bryant said, "That plane ride, that didn't help me. I was good for like two weeks. My knee looked the same and I probably ran the best I had ran all season. Then, next thing I know, I get on that plane coming back (to Tampa), I get up to use the bathroom and it's like, 'Oh!' It was back. I fell asleep, and we were in coach. We're all crunched up."

Not moving the knee allowed it to stiffen and swell, and that's when the problems set in.

"The swelling up shut down the quad, too," he said. "It doesn't help, especially for my position with all the running and cutting. It's not like a (defensive) end or a lineman or something."

In the end, Sunday will be decision day.

"I don't know yet. It's all about going to the stadium," he said. "Coach will let me know. If he lets the dogs out, then I'm going. If not, then hey, it's all about longevity."

Comments

[jerseybuc]

how ironic that a trip designed to increase revenue for the NFL and the Bucs winds up costing them the use of their highest paid player.

[JC]

Good grief... the Bucs flew COACH over to London? That'd be the day that I flew coach to London as an NFL player.

This frigging team. Can't even put up the money to charter a flight to the UK?

Good grief...

[Leo In Canada]

Yikes! Those are very disappointing remarks from Mr. Bryant. ALL players should be focused on practicing and playing their best & winning THIS week!
His perceived suggestion that he could push a little harder if he was the recipient of security is extremely selfish. I hope the powers that be consider this when offering him a 3 year $9M contract at the conclusion of this season. That is if they see fit to offer him anything!

[Stephen Holder]

JC, there's only so much room in first class. I believe the coaches, front office personnel and the owners' traveling counterparts sit up there. Most players on most teams end up in coach like the rest of us. They have their own charter plane remember

[JC]

I guess I envisioned an "all first class" seating arrangement when I think about a team jet.

[Tom]

I hate to beat a dead horse, but I'm still miffed that the medical staff blew this injury off as a minor setback. I've seen enough meniscal tears to know that this would be difficult for Bryant. A YAC type WR that depends on cutting ability.

[Stephen Holder]

Actually, I should have clarified further, JC: It's not the team's plane. They just charter a run of the mill airliner that's otherwise used to transport everyday passengers. In the NBA, MLB an NHL, it's more common to find teams with their own planes because they travel so much more. Hope that helps.

[Crank]

Let the guy crab some. He is one of a very few on this team playing as if he is a professional. Most of these guys look as if they are unsure of their responsibility. Which is not surprising considering the atmosphere of confusion in the coaching staff. With so much lack of direction, I'm surprised the plane found it's way to England.

[jjbjeff]

I'm very upset at how the Buccaneer staff has handled this injury.

If they had held him out of the first couple games of the season, he would have been 100% by week three.

Knee injuries are not injuries you can play through. Idiots!

Instead, they rushed him back, and now he will be ineffective the rest of the year.

Good thing he got the $10mil this year, because the Bucs have likely ruined what looked like a rejuvinated carreer.

[OAR]

Crank and jjbjeff, I have to agree!

[clark kent]

If the Bucs are so concerned about the future, why do they risk the long term health of their best reciever? They must not see Bryant in their future plans. He's not lightin up the score board and winning games for the team. You would think a team so concerned with the future would rest him til he's close to 100% at least. My guess is the team is going trying to get every penny out of him this year for that franchise tag and get rid of him if he doesn't heal. Hey at least we got Michael Clayton. Man dat boy can block. Dat boy can sing too.

[Valrico Rick]

It's not exclusive to the Buccaneers that players are rushed back onto the field. There 3 elements to consider. First, will he cause more damage if he plays. Second, does the player feel like can play. Third, will the coach challenge his manhood if he says he can't.(See Bill Parcells and a man named Terry for reference on this) It happens on every team, but feel free to bash the Bucs for everything that ever comes up! I just read where one of the Glazers was on the grassy knoll, and they found "MG was here" written in the wet cement at the old Giants Stadium!

[clark kent]

I really don't like badmouthing the team Valrico R., but what can positive thing can a fan say of this ongoing story of AB? I know the Bucs aren't the only ones rushing players on the field and each player's injury/team situation is different. Of course you have to decide if playing will cause more injury and weigh the risk. Just look at the evidence though. 1. He hasn't practiced a whole week all year. 2.He usually doesn't make it a whole game. 3. Knee swells after everygame. 4.This swelling/soreness has been recurring for 8 weeks. I'm no orthopedis, but I would say playing him is slowing his recovery and probably causing more damage. AB says he wants to let it heal. I don't think he'll be playing and I love watching him play when he's healthly, but I say sit um.

[clark kent]

Speaking of injuries, just saw that A. Rodgers is listed as probable for Sunday and Driver is listed as probable as well because of a concussion last Sunday. Hopefully the packer offense will at least be slowed up if they both play. Bates needs to summon whatever pass rush he can if Rodger's plays. If Talib plays Jennings well hopefully it will be a good game.

[John P]

Sorry clark kent -

If the Bucs had 4 testicles playing on the D-line Sunday, they still wouldn't have a sack.

[WhoRUKidding?]

Once again, another example of the incompetence or is it? I simply do not understand why the Glazers and coaching staff do the following:
-Hire inexperienced HC who NEVER was a Coordinator with ANYBODY. Analyst to secondary coach DOES NOT make you qualified for HC for a NFL team.
-Release Vets who provide leadership to the younger players.
-Do not spend to salary cap limit (apprx. $25 mill) under.
-Release Matt Bryant because of what? he could not compete. Do you not look at historical data?
-Make dumb coaching decisions when 0-4, 0-5? Really, why play conservatively at this point?
-Practice two and a half hours when inserting a new rookie QB for the next game.
Dumb and Dumber. The only thing I can say is SALE. The Glazers realizing they need funds to sustain the Manchester team...HIRE inexp. cheap coach who will f/u the season resulting in FIRST round draft pick for 2010, also wayyyy under cap...looks promising to negotiate the sale of the team in January 2010 to potential buyers. This stinks to season tickets holders...it's coming off your back and hard earned money.

[WhoRUKidding?]

If the Glazers do not sell then they need to FIRE Coach Morris ASAP. The experiment is over. He does not provide any kind of leadership just slogans. Spend the money, hire experienced coaches. YOUR FANS DESERVE BETTER!!!!!!!!!!!!

[jjbjeff]

"Hey at least we got Michael Clayton. Man dat boy can block."

Dude, I am rolling on the floor!!!!

I really don't think our team could beat GB if they played all their back-ups.

Quite fitting that the boys will be wearing the old creamsicle jerseys.

If they keep playing the way they are I'll be buying premium seat tickets for $10 just like back in the day.

[Daisy]

Buc fans are not so irritated that the Bucs are losing as to the way that they are losing. So many bad decisions have been made since the firing of Gruden and Allen. Getting rid of proven vets especially on "D" and only replacing them with 2nd and 3rd stringers! Paying for a LB and he can't even practice, giving CCC $25mil when Only 2TDs in 4 years, the QB fiasco, NFL's worst secondary and coaching staff that's totally inept! This goes on and on and on!

[D Block]

I would be the 1st person to say i told you so but Tom beat me to it lol. A knee injury needs rest not reps and the Bucs blew it like i thought they did when they rushed him back. Some of the people here where so happy AB was returning and I wasn't one of those. Bringing him back because you where 0-3 and struggling just wasn't SMART. This is a 16 game season and they could've rested him and brought him back during the bye and he more then likely would've been healthy for the rest of the season. But instead he & the staff have hurt the team.

The younger and healthier players could've gotten more snaps and learned and actually might have been hitting their stride by now but instead the team is 0-7 with no promise at the position outside of Stroughter. Stroughter would be great as a slot but this team doesn't have a 1 0r 2 WR in my opinion. They really need to cut their losses and sit Clayton & AB the rest of the way. AB because he is hurt and only hurts the QB's development with the other WR's that can actually practice day in and day out. Clayton just isn't that good a WR, if they hadn't signed him to that deal he probably would be released. He is a major part of the reason the offense is on their 3rd QB and ranked 28th in my opinion.

[D Block]

Let Freeman build some CHEMISTRY! with the other WR's like Stroughter, Clark, Stovall & sign Urrutia to the 53 man roster as well. Stroughter & Bryant are the most explosive WR's the team has that can actually catch. Urrutia & Stovall are both BIG TARGETS! that can actually Block & Catch the ball. If Raheem really wants Freeman to succeed he will play the WR's that can actually contribute on GAME DAY when it counts. I haven't forgot Figurs at all he just doesn't run good routes or catch the ball well in my opinion.

[jjbjeff]

DBlock, they had him on the field in week one. Three weeks after a knee surgery that requires 4-6 weeks to heal.

The AB fiasco is just another to add to the list.

[jjbjeff]

Exactly right DBlock, they need to see what the young receivers can do. Urrutia in the pre-season looked exactly like a Keyshawn type possession receiver. He has incredible range, and good hands.

Stovall should have got his shot a long time ago. He has excelled on special teams since he got here. He is obviously a talented athlete who needs to get a shot.

I'm not so high on Clark, he doesn't possess great speed, size, or hands, but he can't be any worse than Clayton.

[D Block]

Exactly my point. I'm not high on Clark but Clayton stinks! And the other guys can't be that bad.

[BucFandango]

I'm so glad they open the parking lots 30 minutes earlier now. I just can't wait until in the morning for my Sunday dose of Severe Depression & Massive Amounts of Budweiser. Baggo-Bruce