During the second half of the Bucs 28-24 victory over the Jets, wide receiver Antonio Brown lost it. The troubled pass catcher took off his pads, tossed his gloves and shirt and ran off the field. He did pause, shirtless, in the end zone to wave to Jets fans. FOX’s Jay Glazer talked to Bruce Arians after the game to get the scoop on Brown.

According to Arians, the Bucs head coach was trying to play Brown, not bench him. Some speculation exists that Brown was upset about a lack of playing time, perhaps related to his incentives. The receiver was just shy of a few financial benefits tied to his on-field performance. There has been no substantiated report that these incentives had anything to do with Brown’s outburst. Only speculation.

It’s unclear why Brown refused to re-enter the game. He seemed in great spirits before the game, eager to play and contribute. During warm-ups, the 33-year old celebrated after several catches, interacting with fans. But somewhere in the midst of his three catches for 26 yards, all that changed. The veteran receiver refused Arians’ request to enter the game, prompting the Bucs head coach to toss him from the sideline.

“Yeah, I did,” Arians said when Glazer asked if he’d seen Brown remove his equipment. “Never seen anything like it in all my years.”

Cutting Brown

Former Bucs WR Antonio Brown – FOX

After the game, Arians revealed Brown was finished as a Buccaneer. He played just seven games for the Bucs this season. The Bucs are already without star wideout Chris Godwin for the rest of the year.

“He’s no longer a Buc,” Arians said. “That’s the end of the story. Let’s talk about the guys that went out there and won the game.”

Brown finished his 2021 season with 42 catches for 545 yards and four touchdowns. In his absence, the Bucs will rely on emerging wide receiver Cyril Grayson, Tyler Johnson and Breshad Perriman next to Mike Evans. Tampa Bay hosts the Panthers in Week 18 to close the regular season.