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Antonio Brown was one of the biggest headlines from the NFL's Week 17. One would think it was from Brown building off his 15 targets and 101 yards in Week 16. Instead, Antonio Brown caused a major diversion to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during their game against the New York Jets.
Head coach Bruce Arians stated after the win over the Jets, that Antonio Brown is no longer with the team after stripping down and literally walking off the field with what appeared to be a sarcastic smile.
Even on Monday, there was no clear consensus on what caused Brown to react in such a manner. Reports range from the Buccaneers benching him to keep him from reaching his incentives worth $1 million to Arians yelling at him to get back on the field despite an injury.
Either way, one of the NFL's biggest divas of the decade has forced himself off the Buccaneers, and it's not the first time he's been cut from an NFL team.
What happened between Antonio Brown and Patriots?
Tom Brady and Bill Belichick decided it was a good idea to bring Antonio Brown to the New England Patriots back in 2019. After the Pittsburgh Steelers traded Brown to the Raiders prior to the 2019 season after an altercation with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, he was fined several times and cut from Oakland before ever playing a game.
The same day he was released by the Raiders, the Patriots picked him up on a one-year deal worth $15 million. However, there was major controversy around signing Brown, who at the time was dealing with allegations of sexual misconduct.
Despite the allegations against him, the Patriots allowed him to practice and play during the season. He debuted in Week 2, with four catches for 56 yards and a touchdown. After the game, Brown allegedly sent intimidating text messages to one of his accusers. Upon finding out, the Patriots decided to cut Brown after just one game.
From there, Antonio Brown teased retirement from the NFL several times before joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020. He seemed to be turning his career around with Tom Brady looking out for him again and even won his first Super Bowl. However, Brown never stays out of the spotlight for long.
Even prior to him quitting on the Buccaneers, he was suspended for three games upon being found to have a fake COVID-19 vaccination card. Bruce Arians, Tom Brady and the Buccaneers all took a chance on Brown, even after his constant missteps. The only question that remains is whether another team is willing to take a chance on Antonio Brown for a cheap rate.
