As wide receiver Antonio Brown exited MetLife Stadium without a shirt on his back Sunday afternoon, it was difficult to understand just exactly what was going on.
Based on video evidence, teammate Mike Evans attempted to stop Brown from removing his shoulder pads and jersey, but Brown didn’t seem overly upset. When asked after the game what happened to cause Brown to leave the field, Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians wouldn’t say. Instead, Arians informed reporters that Brown is “no longer a Buc,” leaving fans of the game to wonder what transpired to set Brown off to the point where he would quit his team mid-game.
NFL insider Jay Glazer posted to Twitter following the meltdown that Arians attempted to get Brown to enter the game, but Brown refused, exiting the field shortly after.
Just talked to Bruce Arians who said he was trying to get AB to go into game & AB refused. Tried again Brown refused & Arians told him to get out. On if he saw AB take his jersey off.
“Yeah, I did. Never seen anything like it in all my years.” @NFLonFOX
— Jay Glazer (@JayGlazer) January 2, 2022
Brown’s erratic behavior on Sunday is nowhere near the first bizarre move of his career, calling many to wonder out loud whether Brown needs to seek help.
Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady appears to be one of those individual who believes that Brown needs help, telling reporters after the game that he hopes people find ways to help Brown in ways that “he really needs it.”
“I think everybody should hopefully do what they can to help him in ways that he really needs it,” Brady told reporters. “We all love him. We care about him deeply. We want to see him be at his best. Unfortunately it won’t be with our team.”
“I think everyone should be very compassionate and empathetic toward some very difficult things that are happening,” Brady continued.
Antonio Brown literally quit on Tom Brady in the middle of a game
I absolutely didn’t expect this reaction of immediate sympathy
who knows what AB is going thru but credit to Brady, this level of empathy & humanity in the moment is impressive pic.twitter.com/jl3sL8sCqL
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) January 2, 2022
On “Football Night in America” on NBC, former head coach and NFL analyst Tony Dungy called on NFL teams to refrain from signing Brown “until he gets some help.”
“I’ve said this in the past. I feel sorry for Antonio Brown. He’s talented but he needs help. The NFL … we’re not doing him any favors if we keep signing him and keep rewarding this behavior. Don’t sign him until he gets some help,” Dungy said.
Brown has had a career filled with ups-and-downs, spending nine years with the Pittsburgh Steelers before playing one game in the 2019 season with the New England Patriots. Brown joined Tom Brady and the Buccaneers last year, playing in eight games and winning a Super Bowl.
In early November, Brown was suspended for three games after being found to have misrepresented his vaccination status.
“The health and safety of players and personnel is our top priority,” a joint NFL-NFLPA statement read. “The protocols were jointly developed working with our respective experts to ensure that we are practicing and playing football as safely as possible during the ongoing pandemic. The NFL-NFLPA jointly reinforce their commitment and further emphasize the importance of strict adherence to the protocols to protect the well-being of everyone associated with the NFL.”
Brown returned to the field in week 16 against the Carolina Panthers, catching 10 passes for 101 yards.
The suspension followed the NFL’s investigation of Brown’s use of a fake vaccination card, which stemmed from a November Tampa Bay Times report.
According to the Times, Brown was able to obtain a fake vaccination card in July, after his former live-in chef was unable to acquire one for Brown and his girlfriend.
As ESPN reported, Brown received the COVID-19 vaccine shortly after arriving at Bucs training camp, after he was informed that his fake vaccine card could get him in trouble.
Tampa Bay’s decision to allow Brown to return to the team following the suspension was widely criticized, as head coach Bruce Arians had previously said he would cut Brown if he “screws up” while in Tampa Bay.
Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers, and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to [email protected].