The Buccaneers wide receiver is no longer with the team following the show of defiance, Tampa Bay's coach said.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Antonio Brown pulled off his jersey and left the field before the end of his team's 28-24 win over the New York Jets on Sunday, hurried out of the outfit.
Head coach Bruce Arian said after the game that the 33-year-old Brown was "no longer a booked."
Brown's performance included removing his jersey, his shoulder pads, his undershirt and his gloves; giving a peace signal to the crowd; and MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
According to Jay Glazer of "NFL on Fox", which aired the game, Arian repeatedly ordered Brown to attend the game, but was refused, prompting him to send Brown to the locker room. was done.
"I haven't seen anything like this in all these years," Arians was quoted as saying.
In a post-game news conference, Tampa Bay quarterback Tom Brady urged compassion and sympathy for the Browns, suggesting he may need "help."
"We all love him," he said. "We care about him a lot. You know, we want to see him at his best, and, you know, unfortunately that won't happen to our team."
After leaving the stadium, Brown tweeted a picture of himself in casual winter clothes. It was accompanied by the words "Super Gremlin" as well as an emoji of "Shaka," or "Hang loose," the hand symbol.
In 2019 he spent a game with the New England Patriots before being released as he consistently denied allegations of sexual assault. At the time, he stated that he would no longer play in the NFL.
Brown, a former All-Pro wide receiver, was indicted in a sexual assault lawsuit against a former trainer. His lawyers denied and countered the charges, and the court battle ended in a settlement last year. Brown was never charged in relation to the charges.
In 2020, Brown pleaded no contest to theft and battery charges stemming from an incident in Florida in which he was accused of participating in an attack on a truck driver. His sentence included a probation period of two years.
Brown was released by the Patriots after a heated stand with the Oakland Raiders and Pittsburgh Steelers. The NFL said Tampa Bay had signed him for the year, but his season was cut short by a three-game suspension in December alleging that he had misrepresented his vaccination status.