"No longer a Buc": NFL's Antonio Brown strips down and walks out mid-game

East Rutherford, New Jersey – There's one way to manage adversity when your team is down against one of the worst teams in the league, and then there's the way Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Antonio Brown handled it.

Former Buccaneer Antonio Brown left the field, and subsequently the team, during a game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the New York Jets on Sunday.
Former Buccaneer Antonio Brown left the field, and subsequently the team, during a game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the New York Jets on Sunday.  © Collage: IMAGO/ZUMA Wire/Screenshot/Twitter/mmmmillah

As an athlete or sports fan, it's never fun to see your team down in the third quarter, but it's even more upsetting when a star wide receiver, such as Brown, up and quits mid-game.

Yet, that's exactly what seems to have happened during the matchup between the New York Jets and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.

In video footage from fans in attendance along with sideline reports of the incident, it appears that Brown was not thrilled with the game in some regard.

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Though his teammate Mike Evans tried to calm him down, Brown proceeded to take off his helmet, jersey, and pads on the Buccaneers' sideline, all while the offense was in the middle of a play.

Once he successfully threw his pads and jersey in utter disgust, Brown took off on foot, removed his undershirt and gloves, tossed them into the crowd, and proceeded to gallop shirtless across the end zone towards the locker room whilst waving at fans along the way.

Twitter erupted in conversation following his untimely departure from the game, with some concerned about Brown's wellbeing. Many noted that he was possibly suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a brain condition that's thought to be caused by excessive blows to the head or concussions that can be more common in football.

Others were less interested in what might have caused such an odd outburst, with some like former Super Bowl champion and co-host of Undisputed Shannon Sharpe chalking it up to nothing more than Antonio Brown being Antonio Brown.

Brown exits Metlife Stadium and drops a new song

Antonio Brown got a ride out of Metlife Stadium from the infamous personal driver to professional athletes, Danny Chalet.
Antonio Brown got a ride out of Metlife Stadium from the infamous personal driver to professional athletes, Danny Chalet.  © Collage: Screenshot/Instagram/dannyboyhustlehard

In a post-game interview, the Buccaneers' head coach Bruce Arians was asked about Brown's mid-game actions, to which he swiftly responded, "He is no longer a Buc, alright? That’s the end of the story."

The Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady offered up kind words in regard to Brown's bizarre departure in a post-game interview, asking everyone to show compassion towards his former teammate.

"I think everybody should find, you know, and hopefully do what they can to help him in ways he really needs it. We all love him, and we care about him deeply," Brady said. "I think everyone should be very compassionate and empathetic towards some very difficult things that are happening."

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Rather than commenting on what might've led to his sideline antics and odd exit from not only the game, but also the team, Brown chose to have famed personal driver Danny Chalet pick him up from Metlife Stadium, per his Instagram Story.

Shortly after, Brown proceeded to drop a new song, Pit not the Palace, and shared a brief parting message on Instagram to his former Buccaneers' family simply captioned, "Big MAD (Making A Difference). Thanks for the opportunity."

What Brown does next – whether it be aiming for another team, retiring from the NFL, or fully dedicating his time to music – is up to the person he seems to trust the most: himself.

Cover photo: Collage: IMAGO/ZUMA Wire/Screenshot/Twitter/mmmmillah

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