Antonio Brown ‘No Longer A Buc’ After Walking Off Field Shirtless Mid-Game

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ 28-24 comeback win over the New York Jets Sunday was filled with as much drama after the whistles as it did between them.

Now-former Tampa Bay receiver Antonio Brown appears to have retired mid-game—as he inexplicably stripped off his jersey and pads, threw some equipment into the stands and headed to the locker room while waving the peace sign in the third quarter.

“He is no longer a Buc, alright? That’s the end of the story,” head coach Bruce Arians said after the game. While Bucs quarterback Tom Brady told reporters after the game the incident was “obviously a difficult situation.”

“We all love him and care about him deeply,” Brady said, adding their relationship goes beyond football. “I think everyone should be compassionate and empathetic toward some very difficult things that are happening.”

After the game, Brown tweeted a photo of himself with the caption “Super Gremlin” and a few hours later tweeted a link to his new single, “Pit Not The Palace.”

Brown was suspended without pay for three games in December following an investigation into whether he used a fake COVID-19 vaccination card.

The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Brown in 2010. He played there for nine seasons before being traded to the Raiders prior to the 2019 campaign. However, he was released before playing a regular-season game. He then signed with the New England Patriots and played one game before being released—and days after his former trainer filed a sexual battery lawsuit.

Brown signed a one-year deal with the Buccaneers in October 2020 and then another in April.

Article by Andrew Corselli