NEWSLETTER
If you missed today’s particularly wild moment in the NFL, Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Antonio Brown, mid-game, took off his gear, chucked it, and then jogged off the field. You never know what exactly is going on with Brown, who immediately left the stadium to look for a ride. To somewhere?
From Bucs P.R. on how Antonio Brown is getting back to Tampa: "Not sure. After BA's comments, I wouldn't expect it would be with us."
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) January 2, 2022
As for what the heck happened and what the heck happens now, Bucs head coach Bruce Arians explained after the game that he was simply trying to put Brown in, and Brown refused multiple times. That was that:
Just talked to Bruce Arians who said he was trying to get AB to go into game & AB refused. Tried again Brown refused & Arians told him to get out. On if he saw AB take his jersey off.
“Yeah, I did. Never seen anything like it in all my years.” @NFLonFOX
— Jay Glazer (@JayGlazer) January 2, 2022
And while Brown hasn’t officially been released yet, Arians didn’t mince words about what happens after Brown simply took off:
Bruce Arians said Antonio Brown “is no longer a Buc.”
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 2, 2022
Arians would not elaborate beyond that after the game (ESPN): “I’m not talking about him. He’s no longer part of the Bucs.”
BA addresses the status of Antonio Brown: pic.twitter.com/gC7D8Csin2
— xz – Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) January 2, 2022
The Bucs came back to win the game against the Jets, by the way, and they’ll have to figure out how to replace the production of both Brown and Chris Godwin, who was already lost for the year to an ACL injury.
There will be more fallout for sure, including the question on whether another team takes a chance on a guy who does the ridiculous, unethical, and allegedly horrible things that Brown may have done. Brown’s now-twice-former quarterback Tom Brady asks for compassion and empathy:
Tom Brady on Antonio Brown: "That's obviously a difficult situation. … We all love him and care about him deeply." Said relationships will go beyond being teammates. "I think everyone should be compassionate and empathetic toward some very difficult things."
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) January 2, 2022
For his part, Brown posted on Twitter and Instagram without much in the way of explanation or context:
https://twitter.com/AB84/status/1477766970460282885
View this post on Instagram
