Antonio Brown fired from Bucs after mid-game walk off
Tampa, Florida - Antonio Brown's Tampa Bay Buccaneers career is officially over after his contract was terminated on Thursday.
The drama unfolded on Sunday when Brown astonishingly made a bizarre exit from the field during the Bucs' win over the New York Jets.
Brown removed his jersey and pads and left the field with Tampa Bay trailing 24-10 in the third quarter at MetLife Stadium, the wide receiver jumping in the endzone and waving to fans shirtless before running down the tunnel.
He subsequently left the NFL stadium in an Uber, and there was never likely to be a way back for the 33-year-old.
The reasons for his stunt remain cloudy, but reports have claimed that the 33-year-old refused to play when coach Bruce Arians wanted to put him in and an argument ensued on the sidelines. He felt that he wasn't healthy enough to play, yet the coaches allegedly didn't see it that way.
Brown accused Tampa Bay of a cover-up of his injury in a lengthy statement, revealing he will have surgery on his ankle.
He then on Thursday took to social media to post screenshots of text exchanges he had with Arians last week, informing the Bucs head coach that he was struggling with the ankle problem.
"Don't get it twisted"
Brown then tweeted: "Don't get it twisted. My brothers have been good to me. From Tom [Brady] to practice squad, we were a top-level unit ...
"They have been good to me and and knew nothing about my talks with coach last week. The team mishandled this situation. They let me down and, more importantly, my teammates."
Tampa Bay later confirmed Brown has been released.
The franchise said in a statement: "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."
Cover photo: imago/Icon SMI