Tampa Bay Buccaneers ’ head coach Bruce Arians said Antonio Brown “is no longer a Buc” after the wide receiver spectacularly stormed off against the New York Jets.
In what could be his final ever appearance in the NFL, Brown ripped off his pads and gave his equipment to the fans in the middle of the third quarter when the Buccaneers were trailing the Jets by double digits.
After dramatically undressing in plain view of the crowd and millions of stunned viewers, he waved his hands up in the end zone and exited the stadium shortly after.
It was a stunning passage of events from the four-time All-Pro and 2010s All-Decade selection, as he was still able to earn $1m (£738,835) of contract incentives.
However, he will not get the opportunity to earn his bonus, as Arians confirmed his releasing at the end of the match.
HAVE YOUR SAY! What other dramatic NFL meltdowns can you think of? Comment below
“He is no longer a Buc,” Arians said to Go Bucs radio.
The Buccanners went on to overturn the deficit to win 28-24 courtesy of a magical piece of play from Tom Brady, which saw the all-time great set up a game winning 33-yard touchdown pass for Cyril Grayson in the last 15 seconds.
Brady’s mastery prevented what would have been one of the biggest upsets of the season.
However, the conversation was still centred around Brown’s jaw-dropping departure from the arena.
“That's obviously a difficult situation. We all love him and care about him deeply," Brady said after the victory.
"I think everyone should be compassionate and empathetic toward some very difficult things."
"I think everybody should do what they can to help in ways that he really needs it.
“We all love him, we care about him deeply. We want to see him be at his best, and unfortunately, it won't be with our team."
Brown had managed to accumulate three catches for 26-yards against the Jets in five targets, before his sensational exit from the game.
Fox Sports’ Jen Hale claimed Mike Evans did his best to calm Brown and convince him to keep his pads on, but his efforts were futile against the wide-receivers end.
After initially struggling to take his jersey and his equipment off, Brown proceeded to walk to the end zone, throw his equipment into the crowd, and wave to the stunned fans.
Over the course of the season, Brown had managed 42 catches for 545 yards for the Buccanners and was on course to achieve his contract incentives.
Reports from Spotrac claim the 33-year-old would have made a million dollars if he reached eight receptions, 55-yards, and 1TD.
However, Brown’s fury clouded his desire for the money after he stormed off and ended his time with the Buccaneers under an almighty black cloud.
Fox Sports writer and host of Good Morning Football Peter Schrager stated on Twitter that Brown would not be flying back with the Buccanners, while ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter confirmed his release at the end of the contest.
