Antonio Brown was apparently frustrated and angry on Sunday, so he walked away from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and possibly his NFL career.
The mercurial wide receiver was kicked off the team after a bizarre, shirtless exit from the field before Tom Brady coolly led the Bucs on a 93-yard (85m) drive in the final minutes for a 28-24 victory over the New York Jets.
Bucs coach Bruce Arians said after the game that Brown was off the team.
Photo: AP
“He is no longer a Buc,” Arians said. “All right? That’s the end of the story. Let’s talk about the guys who went out there and won the game.”
Brown’s mid-game meltdown came late in the third quarter with Tampa Bay trailing 24-10. He appeared animated while talking to Mike Evans, who tried to calm his teammate.
However, Brown stripped off his pads, jersey, gloves and T-shirt — tossing the gloves and T-shirt into the stands — and then walked bare-chested down the sideline and into the end zone. He waved to fans as he jogged through the end zone and into the tunnel at MetLife Stadium.
It appeared to be a show of frustration by Brown, who had three catches for 26 yards.
“I’m not talking about it,” Arians said. “He’s not part of the Bucs.”
Brown was last month suspended for three games for contravening the league’s COVID-19 protocols. He also has a history of personal conduct issues and bizarre behavior.
“It’s a difficult situation,” Brady said. “Everybody should do what they can to help him in ways that he really needs it... I think everyone should be very compassionate and empathetic toward some very difficult things that are happening.”
Elsewhere, rookie Evan McPherson kicked the game-winning field goal as time expired, and the Cincinnati Bengals clinched the NFL’s American Football Conference (AFC) North division title with a 34-31 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Bengals, Tennessee Titans, Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles all secured playoff spots on Sunday, while the Green Bay Packers locked up the NFC top seed and a first-round bye with a 37-10 victory over the Minnesota Vikings.
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