Bruce Arians refuses to talk about Antonio Brown meltdown after Jets game
By Josh Hill
It appears the Antonio Brown meltdown on Sunday was the final straw for Bruce Arians and the Buccaneers.
Sparing hyperbole, the most bizarre incident of the NFL season played out on Sunday in East Rutherford. Somehow, it only tangentially involved the Jets.
As embarrassing as the Jets have looked at times this season, nothing will top how Antonio Brown effectively ended his tenure with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — and likely his NFL career. As the Bucs were attempting to mount a 24-10 comeback against the Jets, Brown ran off the field after ripping his equipment off and leaving it on the sideline.
It’s somehow more insane to witness than it sounds:
Tom Brady and the Bucs indeed erased the deficit and walked out of New Jersey with a 28-24 win, but they’ll be returning to Tampa Bay a player lighter.
To the shock of absolutely no one, the Buccaneers are parting ways with Brown. After the game, Bruce Arians very succinctly ended Brown’s tenure with the Bucs while commenting on the bizarre meltdown.
Video: Bruce Arians announcing Antonio Brown is no longer a Buc, a week before the playoffs startpic.twitter.com/X8OGEqEtK4
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) January 2, 2022
When asked to elaborate on the incident, Arians refused.
I asked Bruce Arians what led to the decision to ultimately cut Antonio Brown: "I'm not talking about him. He's no longer part of the Bucs."
— JennaLaineESPN (@JennaLaineESPN) January 2, 2022
The egg is on the face of more than just Brown. In fact, the only person who gets off light in this scenario is Brown, who surprised absolutely no one with his antics on Sunday afternoon. Instead, it’s those who stood up for and caped for Brown in the name of winning some football games who look like absolute clowns in the wake of what happened.
Arians, specifically, has the most amount of egg on his face. When the Buccaneers signed Brown in 2020, it came in the midst of a domestic violence situation that resulted in a suspension from the league and possible legal fallout that had yet to be sorted out. Arians line at the time was that Brown had one strike and he was out — yet that was quickly revealed to be poppycock.
Brown was suspended earlier this season for providing a phony COVID vaccination card, something that didn’t deter the Buccaneers from keeping him. Arians and company caught a fair amount of heat for their decision to back off their stance that Brown would only get one chance and are now reaping what they sowed.