It has been a really weird season for Antonio Brown, which has become the norm for the former All-Pro who has become more well-known for his off-field antics and troubles than his production on it.
Brown returned to the Bucs after a three-game suspension for using a fake vaccine card early in the season (he eventually got actually vaccinated), and with Chris Godwin’s injury, the expectation was Brown would be even more important to the Tampa offense going forward. However, on Sunday in New York, Brown had just three catches for 26 yards well into the second half when he suddenly, just, left in the middle of a Bucs drive. Brown was upset about something on the sidelines and Mike Evans couldn’t convince him to let it go and Brown rips off his pads and dips.
Antonio Brown has a meltdown at the hand of the #Jets and #BraxtonBerrios pic.twitter.com/RGhSYpyrOu
— Miller (@mmmmillah) January 2, 2022
Brown threw his undershirt and gloves into the stands, danced in the opposite end zone as he waved to the crowd, and then disappeared into the tunnel.
https://twitter.com/FieldYates/status/1477733508034568192
No one on the Bucs sideline even seems to try and stop him after Evans’ briefly tried talking him out of it, as it appears this might be the most amicable in-game quitting in NFL history, with the team just as fed up with the player as the player is with the team. It’s certainly not ideal for the Bucs, but in the long run, it might just be best for all parties to move on — it seems impossible that the Bucs would welcome him back after this. There is also a real chance this is the last we see of Brown on an NFL field, and it’s quite the exit if that is indeed the case.
