"Thanks for the opportunity" - Antonio Brown responds to being cut by the Buccaneers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers should be celebrating after a comeback victory over the New York Jets on Sunday. But Antonio Brown is all anyone can talk about following the Bucs' 28-24 win.

Brown removed his pads and stormed off the field midway through the game. Reports later emerged saying the wide receiver refused to return and left the stadium before the rest of the team. He has since been cut by the Buccaneers, and his NFL career is likely over.

It did not take long for Brown to post on social media. In his latest Instagram post, he thanked the Buccaneers for the opportunity they gave him.

"Thanks for the opportunity," Brown wrote under a picture of himself in the Bucs uniform.

Antonio Brown says his farewell

Brown leaving the field shirtless and waving at the crowd was a jarring sight. The entire Buccaneers sideline could only stand in shock and watch him head to the locker room. There was no time to go chase him down either because a game was being played.

So far, teammates have shown Brown respect and understanding. He even got some support from Le'Veon Bell, who spent years with Brown in Pittsburgh and has just joined the Buccaneers.

Bell called Brown "the GOAT" and won't hear otherwise. That is a strong voice in support of Brown as he heads into his unknown NFL future.

Tom Brady expressed empathy towards the wide receiver.

Brown is clearly going through a lot. That was true even before Sunday's game against the Jets. He recently returned from a suspension for turning in a fake COVID vaccination card to the NFL. It came after a slew of off-the-field issues that landed him in legal trouble.

That includes accusations of sexual assault and a felony burglary charge. That landed him an eight-game suspension at the beginning of the 2020 season.

This has to be the final straw for Brown, even if he is trying to play it off casually. An NFL player cannot do what Brown did and get another chance. With him specifically, it would be more than just a second, or even a third, chance at this point.

Tom Brady had to lobby to land Brown, and the early results were great on the field. That explains why Brady is just expressing compassion at this point. He has to know he took a chance, but the faith did not pay off in the end.

For someone like Bell, speaking out in support is a positive, but the NFL is ultimately a business. Brown had Brady in his corner, which represents amazing support at the NFL level. No one else is going to be able to convince a team to sign Brown, if Brady did, and it didn't pan out.

Now, Brown's influence may be limited to the realm of social media from here on out.