Tampa Bay Buccaneers star Antonio Brown stunned his coach and fellow teammates on Sunday, after stripping to his bare chest and leaving the field during the third quarter of an NFL clash with the New York Jets.
The famously temperamental wide receiver was then seen smiling as he was driven away from the MetLife stadium, despite Bucs coach Bruce Arians claiming that he is no longer a part of the NFL franchise.
The veteran coach later stated that he’d “never seen anything like it in all my years.” It appears as if Mr Brown, 33, first grew frustrated during a conversation with teammate Mike Evans, as immediately after, he removed his pads, jersey, gloves and T-shirt - before walking down the sideline and into the end zone.
However, according to Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer, the third quarter exit came as a result of Brown refusing to enter the game, with the reigning NFL champions trailing 24-10 at the time.
Legendary quarterback Tom Brady would eventually spearhead a remarkable comeback in the closing stages, leading the Bucs to a late 28-24 triumph.
Brown, meanwhile, sparked further controversy which his post-game actions.
Multiple videos from the immediate aftermath of the game show Danny Chalet, a known associate of NFL stars such as Saquon Barkley and Odell Beckham Jr, driving Mr Brown around the streets of New York on Sunday afternoon.
“When my brother call me I’m there,” Mr Chalet wrote on Instagram. He’s then seen in a series of videos with Mr Brown, including one with the former all-star smiling from the backseat of Chalet’s car.
Mr Brown also took to social media in the wake of the game, Tweeting out a photo of himself with the caption: “Super-gremlin”.
The welfare of the former New England Patriots star has been questioned of late, with his early exit from Sunday’s game just the latest in a series of headline-grabbing antics.
After the game, former teammate Brady asked fans to be “compassionate” towards Brown, adding that he wasn’t aware of what had transpired until after the game.
“Obviously a difficult situation...We all love him,” the quarterback stated.
