Antonio Brown stripped his uniform off and left the field in a surreal scene during the Tampa Bay Buccaneers-New York Jets game on Sunday, and we may now know what set him off.
According to Bucs radio sideline reporter TJ Rives, Brown was benched by Bruce Arians prior to quitting on his team.
As we just said on #GoBucs radio Antonio Brown was benched by Coach Bruce Arians before taking off his shoulder pads and jersey and throwing them down on the bench. He's gone to lockerrom on his own
— TJ Rives (@BucSidelineGuy) January 2, 2022
Newer information from Jay Glazer says that Arians benched Brown after the receiver twice refused to enter the game.
The veteran wide receiver had three catches for 26 yards before he left the field.
Arians would not go into detail with the general media about the incident after the game. The Bucs coach only said that Brown is no longer a member of the team.
The Bucs were trailing 24-10 in the third quarter when Brown stripped off his uniform, threw his equipment into the stands at MetLife Stadium and left the field. He stopped in the end zone to pump the crowd up and wave goodbye on his way out. You can see the video here.
Arians gave Brown a chance by signing him last year despite his numerous off-field issues. Brown was then suspended this season for three games after the NFL determined that he turned in a fake COVID vaccination card. He recently blamed the media for all the negative headlines about him.
