TAMPA (SNN-TV) – Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Antonio Brown appears to have retired in the middle of the Bucs game against the Jets on Sunday.
After becoming emotional on the sideline during the game, Brown took off his jersey and pads and threw his shirt into the stands of MetLife Stadium.
Bruce Arians said that Brown had refused to return to the game in the second half when he was told to. But according to news reports, Brown felt he was too injured to return to the game at that point, as he’d missed several weeks with an ankle injury
At the time of Brown’s episode, the Buccaneers were trailing the New York Jets, but Tom Brady led the Bucs to a come from behind, 28 to 22 victory, without the star receiver.
After the game, head coach Bruce Arians said Brown was no longer a “Buc.” “I wish him well. I hope, if he needs help, [that he] gets some. It’s very hard because I do care about him.”
Brown had already been in trouble with the NFL for violating league protocols with a fake vaccination card.
The veteran player did not fly back to Tampa with the team, tweeting only the cryptic words “Super Gremlin” on his verified account.
