TAMPA, Fla. — Bruce Arians is finally right. Antonio Brown is no longer a Buc.
The team announced Thursday that it has released the wide receiver, who accused it of forcing him to play hurt in Sunday’s win over the New York Jets in East Rutherford, N.J.
“The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have terminated the contract of Antonio Brown, effective immediately,” the Bucs said in a statement Thursday. “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.”
Brown had a sideline exchange with Arians in the third quarter of Sunday’s game during which Brown refused to play, Arians said. Brown reacted by pulling off his shoulder pads and jersey, tearing off his undershirt and gloves and throwing them into the seats at MetLife Stadium before leaving the field.
Arians addressed Brown’s release following Thursday’s practice.
“At no point in time during that game did he ever ask the trainer or doctor about his ankle,” Arians said. “That’s the normal protocol. We go through protocols during games. I was never notified of it. Obviously, that was a disturbing thing when we were looking for him to go back in the game.
“He was very upset at halftime about who was getting targeted (with passes). We got that calmed down, players took care of that. It started again on the sideline. We called for the personnel group that he had played in the entire game. He refused to go in the game. That’s when I went back and saw him wave off the coach.
“I then went back and approached him about focusing. ... (He said,) ‘I ain’t playing.’ ‘What’s going on?’ ‘I ain’t getting the ball.’ That’s when I said to him, ‘You’re done. Get the eff out of here.’ That’s the end of it.”
Arians said he did not use a throat slash gesture toward Brown, as the receiver said in a statement he released late Wednesday night through his attorney.
Bucs general manager Jason Licht told ESPN that Brown did not tell anyone on the Bucs’ medical staff that his left ankle was bothering him on game day, either before kickoff or during the first half.
In fact, Brown became agitated and had to be calmed down at halftime, a team official told ESPN, because he had only five targets in the first half, catching three passes for 26 yards.
Last week, Brown and his agent requested that the remaining $2 million in incentives in his contract for the 2021 season be guaranteed, Licht said. But the Bucs declined.
The Bucs attempted to bring the matter to a close last week by attempting to have Brown examined. But Brown remained in New York, so the team tried to accommodate him by making an appointment with a doctor to see him there.
Brown said an MRI that was reviewed by an orthopedic surgeon in New York revealed a bone chip in his ankle as well as ligament and cartilage damage. But Licht told ESPN that Brown and his representatives declined to send the medical information from that examination this week.
Quarterback Tom Brady said Thursday he has “a lot of personal feelings” about the situation but doesn’t think this is the week to discuss it with the Bucs playing for playoff seeding Sunday against the Panthers at Raymond James Stadium.
“I’m just going to do the best I can do as the quarterback of the team and try to put together a great week to finish strong,” he said. “You just always deal with different things over the course of the season. That’s what we’re doing this week.”
