The Tampa Bay Buccaneers won Sunday’s game against the Jets but in all likelihood lost Antonio Brown for the season. A significant blow for the team with playoffs just around the corner.
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Brown had been on thin ice with the Bucs since his three-game Covid-19 suspension due to a fake COVID-19 vaccine card. Keeping it professional, Arians and the Buccaneers had no problem welcoming the four-time All-Pro back to aid an injured receiving corps.
Brown was having a really good season so far, he had 39 catches for 519 yards and four touchdowns. The Bucs were also winning with him in the lineup, they had a 7-0 record with him. Less than two weeks after the end of his suspension, the Buccaneers WR was seen removing his uniform and pads before leaving the field topless in the middle of the third quarter as his team trailed the New York Jets. It was a truly fascinating sight.
Hot take: AB will fight a Paul brother before the year is over
— Brooks Koepka (@BKoepka) January 2, 2022
Antonio Brown really just took off his uniform, threw it to the stands, and walked off the field 😬
The Bucs and Bruce Arians gave him another chance after many teams were hesitant to sign him
— BarnBurner Sports (@BB__Sports) January 2, 2022
Buccaneers staffers and players on the sideline appeared confused as they saw Brown striping. Fans couldn’t believe what was happening. Brown proceeded to throw his undershirt into the MetLife Stadium crowd. He then did jumping jacks before signaling to the fans in the end zone on his walk to the tunnel pushing himself further to the point of no return.
Bruce Arians on Antonio Brown: “He is no longer a Buc.”
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) January 2, 2022
Meanwhile twitter had a blast with Antonio Brown’s antics.
Antonio Brown headed back to the locker room pic.twitter.com/Ld1UErv5Zt
— Pardon My Take (@PardonMyTake) January 2, 2022
Antonio Brown already found a new job pic.twitter.com/tDSCcCgjhT
— Ryan Moss (@PowercatRyan) January 3, 2022
Outside the stadium, it was also reported that security initially thought Brown was a shirtless fan and they were going to tackle him until they realized it was Antonio Brown. Soon after he left the field, Brown left a cryptic message for his six million fans.
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Everyone was not affected adversely from this collateral damage. Danny Chalet, a Bloomfield, N.J. native who lists Brooks Koepka, Odell Beckham Jr, Saquon Barkley and others among his clients, was seen picking up Brown from the stadium.
Antonio Brown has been picked up from MetLife and is in the city with NYC driver Danny Chalet (IG Dannyboyhustlehard) pic.twitter.com/VXhdNNkpYp
— Taylor Rooks (@TaylorRooks) January 2, 2022
What was lost in this kerfuffle was that without Brown, Tom Brady led the Buccaneers to a comeback victory on a last-minute drive with no timeouts to take the lead and complete a signature comeback.