Antonio Brown discusses his bizarre exit with Bryant Gumbel on 'HBO Real Sports'

Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Antonio Brown will give his first television interview since the team released him to Bryant Gumbel on Tuesday night's edition of HBO Real Sports.

In a preview clip released by the network, Brown -- with his lawyer present beside him -- told Gumbel that team doctors gave him a shot of the pain-killer toradol before the game against the Carolina Panthers in Week 16 and before the game against the New York Jets in Week 17.

By Brown's account, the drug made him unable to feel the damage being done to his injured ankle until he could no longer play. At that point, lawyer Sean Burstyn said, Bucs coach Bruce Arians told him to leave the field -- which led to Brown's high-profile, shirtless exit.

MORE: Antonio Brown wants to catch passes from Lamar Jackson, and the Ravens QB seems into the idea

NEVER MISS A SNAP: Sign up for our NFL newsletter for exclusive content

Gumbel brought up the suggestion that Brown instead left the field because he wasn't getting enough passes thrown in his direction.

"It's not worrying about the ball," he replied. "(Quarterback) Tom Brady is my guy. He's the reason I'm on Tampa Bay so I know I'm going to get the ball."

Perhaps the most interesting part of the clip came when Gumbel questioned Brown about whether he felt he could benefit from meeting with a mental health professional.

Brown responded that the team "tried to make an agreement with me to give me $200,000 to go to the crazy house so these guys can look like they know what they're talking about."

When Gumbel asked for clarification, Burstyn interjected that Brown was asked to "sit on the sidelines, go on some list and commit himself to some mental health treatment" with instructions, in writing, not to "spin this any other way."

The full interview will air on HBO Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Antonio Brown tells his version of Bucs exit to HBO's Bryant Gumbel