Bruce Arians takes parting shot at prominent NFL reporter

Bruce Arians spoke with reporters on Thursday about his decision to retire as head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He ended the press conference by thanking the media for the way they treated him — except one guy.

Arians started to walk away from the podium before returning to deliver the compliment. He told the media they have been “fantastic” but ended by taking a shot at Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. The room erupted with laughter.

Bruce Arians with the mic drop at the end of his press conference:
"One other thing, it's been great working with you guys in the press. You've been fantastic. All over the country. Alright! Florio, you can write what you want. It's ok" 🔥😂 pic.twitter.com/5EjIMFsrAt

— René Bugner (@RNBWCV) March 31, 2022

“One other thing — it’s been great working with you guys in the press. You’ve been fantastic all over the country,” Arians said. “Florio, you can write what you want, it’s OK.”

After Brady announced his retirement, Florio stated on several platforms that he was almost certain Brady wanted to play for the San Francisco 49ers. He laid out a detailed scenario in which Brady would orchestrate his exit from Tampa Bay. Florio also mocked Arians when Arians said the Bucs would not be willing to let Brady out of his contract to play elsewhere.

Of course, Florio was hardly the only one to hint that there were issues between Brady and the Buccaneers. Former NFL offensive lineman Rich Ohrnberger, who is close friends and ex-college teammates with Bucs assistant coach A.Q. Shipley, said back in February that the relationship between Brady and Arians had soured. All of the involved parties will still deny that, but that doesn’t make it untrue.

Many people are convinced that Brady forced Arians out, and you can understand why. Arians is obviously most comfortable blaming Florio for all the juicy rumors surrounding the situation.

Photo: Sep 19, 2021; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians prior to the game against the Atlanta Falcons at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports