News
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Fire Wide Receiver Antonio Brown
At MetLife Stadium, wide receiver Antonio Brown removed his helmet, jersey and pads, waved to the fans, then ran into the tunnel. Mike Evans was seen attempting to restrain Brown from removing his uniform in the video.
Tampa Bay’s head coach Bruce Arians announced Brown’s departure after their comeback win of 28-24 over the Bucs.
BA addresses the status of Antonio Brown: pic.twitter.com/gC7D8Csin2
— xz – Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) January 2, 2022
Arians said, “He is no longer a Buccaneer for Tampa Bay. “It’s over.” According to Bucs sideline reporter TJ Rives, Arians benched Antonio Brown before he left the field.
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady called the game a “difficult situation” after it ended.
“We all hope he gets the help he needs,” Brady told reporters. He will not be with our team, despite the love we all have for him.”
People should be compassionate and empathic when things are happening, Brady said.
Tampa Bay beat New York and moved to 12-4 after coming back from a 14-point deficit against a Jets team that led 24-10 at the time of his departure. Brown caught three passes for 26 yards against the Jets.
The NFL-NFLPA COVID-19 protocol violation led to Brown’s three-game suspension last month. Last week, Brown went on a round of rants following his first game in two months, in which he objected to questions about Arians’ support.
Brown posted the following message to Twitter roughly an hour after the game ended.
There is a lot of drama here, Brown said then. “There is a lot of drama you create, and a lot of drama from people who want stuff from me.” It’s part of being in this position, but it’s also part of life.
The things that people ask me for, the things that they write about me, the things they say about me are all out of my control. It is all I can do to wake up every morning and strive to be the best person I can be and to do my job the best way I can, and that is what we did today.”