Why did Antonio Brown leave the Bucs? The former wide receiver explained more of the story on his Instagram Monday morning.
It’s impossible to imagine why Antonio Brown, an NFL player who has pushed second chances beyond their limit, would hang up his cleats in the middle of playing a game.
All that onlookers know is that Brown argued with fellow wide receiver Mike Evans, stripped off the uniform covering his upper body, and threw up the peace sign to Jets fans as he trotted to the locker room. Bruce Arians cut him as soon as the press conference tape was rolling, and Brown did not travel back with the team.
Brown, who was playing in his second game following a three-game suspension, was still up for a $1 million in incentives — as long as Tom Brady got him the ball. Brown entered Sunday’s game needing 11 catches, 281 yards and two touchdowns in the final two games to reach approximately $1 million in incentives. All Brown nabbed was three catches for 26 yards, which is what some initially speculated to be the reason Brown lost his cool and deserted his team.
However, AB offered another reason on his Instagram: he left because he’s “super gremlin.” He also mentions that he knew the game was still being played when he walked off the field and effectively ended his tenure with the Buccaneers.
Antonio Brown walk off: Why did Antonio Brown leave the Bucs?
Super gremlin doesn’t offer any insight into why Brown left — it just seemed to be the song stuck in Brown’s head as he headed into the game.
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“Super Gremlin” is a song released by Kodak Black in November 2021.
“Yeah, we could be superstars / We been rather wreckin’ cars / What is at stake for us?… Yeah, we could be superstars / But I’m pretty sure our time is up,” Kodak Black’s lyrics read.
According to Ian Rapoport, the real reason Brown left the team is because he believed he was still too injured to enter the game.
Not all of Brown’s Instagram activity has been bizarre explanations and references. On Sunday night he posted a thank you message to the Buccaneers to his IG profile.
Brown was on a limited snap count on Sunday, as he was still dealing with an ankle injury. Brown didn’t practice this past Friday and was listed as questionable for Sunday’s game. According to Rapoport, Brown told Bucs coaches that he wouldn’t re-enter the game.
If that is the case, this is less about Brown not getting the ball and more about the coaches trying to include him — but in any case, Brown seems to have left when he did because he didn’t feel his coaches were listening.
That, and he felt like being super gremlin.