Details of Antonio Brown meltdown keep getting more bizarre [Updated]
Antonio Brown leaving the sidelines and quitting the Buccaneers midgame was strange enough, but the details thereafter are even weirder.
Just when you think Antonio Brown, he of a helmet-related drama, frostbitten feet, fake vaccine card and much more infamy, couldn’t do anything else to surprise you, he somehow found a way — perhaps the worst possible.
During the third quarter of Week 17’s Buccaneers-Jets matchup, the mercurial wide receiver tore off his pads and shirt — all while Tampa Bay was still on offense — and walked out of the stadium through the end zone, holding the peace sign up to fans as he left the stadium.
If that wasn’t strange enough from Brown, though, the details of what happened thereafter continue to make the situation that much more bizarre.
Antonio Brown meltdown: WR left stadium shirtless in a cop car
For starters, stadium security in New York was about to tackle Brown because they thought he was a fan, showing just how unheard of his antics were.
Stadium security initially thought it was a fan and were prepared to tackle Antonio Brown before they realized it was a player, per FOX.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) January 2, 2022
After he finally avoided getting tackled by security, though, Antonio Brown then left the stadium — still shirtless — and got escorted to his flight out of New York in a police car.
security said Antonio Brown ran out of stadium shirtless &!into a police car to be escorted to flight by himself out of town away from the buccaneers!
— Chris Myers (@The_ChrisMyers) January 2, 2022
this after he tore off his jersey during game threw his shirt in the stands freaking out#bucs #BucsVsJets
Adding to all of this, he was then seen waiting on an Uber or a car on the street — all of this while the Buccaneers were either still playing or just wrapping up their game against the Jets.
https://twitter.com/pff/status/1477758386750038023?s=21
In the wake of this debacle, head coach Bruce Arians announced that the Buccaneers were releasing Brown (obviously) and the wide receiver also gave up a substantial amount of money with the display as well.
Arians didn’t comment on the incident after the game, beyond announcing that Brown was ‘no longer a Buc’, but he did speak with Jay Glazer to give more details on what might have led to the outburst.
Bucs insider Greg Auman notes that Arians was trying to get Brown into the game, but the receiver refused due to what he said was a sore ankle.
Much as @jayglazer reported, my understanding of the buildup to Antonio Brown leaving the field midgame was Bruce Arians asking him to go in the game, Brown saying his ankle was sore, Arians telling him he was done for the day if that was the case.
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) January 2, 2022
What a wild, surreal final image of a supremely talented and equally troubled player, though.
Next. Fan angle of Antonio Brown quitting mid-game is hilarious (Video). dark