Buccaneers Officially Release Antonio Brown

The Antonio Brown era in Tampa Bay is now, officially, over.

It is now, officially, after weeks of speculation and a sideline outburst that sealed the deal, over.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers released wide receiver Antonio Brown on Thursday, the team announced. The move comes as no surprise, as Bucs head coach Bruce Arians said after Sunday's 28-24 victory over the New York Jets that Brown's time with Tampa Bay had come to an end.

Of course, Arians was given a reason to make that statement, as roughly an hour beforehand, Brown caught the attention of the entire NFL and its fanbase by ripping off his uniform and seemingly quitting on the Buccaneers in the third quarter of Week 17's matchup with New York. 

Reports regarding why the incident occurred have been a bit conflicting, but at the end of the day, Brown up and left his team in the middle of a game, in dramatic fashion no less, which the Buccaneers' deemed the final straw.

Brown has claimed through his attorney that Arians kicked him off the team for not playing through an ankle injury, although the Buccaneers have denied his allegations. Brown said in a statement that he intends to have surgery on his ankle.

Statement from Antonio Brown via his attorney ⁦@seanburstyn⁩: pic.twitter.com/pJ3VGFBjSy

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 6, 2022

The Buccaneers released the following statement at the time of Brown’s release.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have terminated the contract of Antonio Brown, effective immediately. While Antonio did receive treatment on his ankle and was listed on the injury report the week leading up to last Sunday’s game, he was cleared to play by our medical team prior to the start of the game and at no point during the game did he indicate to our medical personnel that he could not play. We have attempted, multiple times throughout this week, to schedule an evaluation by an outside orthopedic specialist, yet Antonio has not complied. Maintaining the health and wellness of our players is of the utmost importance to our organization. 

It certainly wasn't Brown's first and only act of misconduct during his time with Tampa Bay, though. Just over two weeks ago, the Buccaneers welcomed Brown back to the team following a three-game suspension for obtaining a fake COVID-19 vaccination card and using it to bypass the NFL's coronavirus protocols, which directly put Brown's teammates and coaches at a health risk. 

Brown was also temporarily ejected from an August training camp practice with the Tennessee Titans for his involvement in team scuffles, in which he punched Titans defensive back Chris Jackson after ripping off the defender’s helmet. And, prior to his time in Tampa Bay, Brown had numerous run-ins with the law that included allegations of sexual assault, felony burglary of a vehicle, misdemeanor battery, and so on.

Brown, a six-time All-Pro with the Pittsburgh Steelers from 2010-18 who originally signed with Tampa Bay halfway through the 2020 season, finishes his Buccaneers career with 87 receptions for 1,028 yards eight touchdowns in 15 regular-season appearances. If you include the postseason (three games), those numbers rise to 95 receptions for 1,109 yards and 10 touchdowns.

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