What did Antonio Brown say before staging walkout vs Jets?

Tampa Bay Buccaneers v New York Jets
Tampa Bay Buccaneers v New York Jets

Antonio Brown's walkout has been the talk of the NFL since it happened during the contest between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the New York Jets.

For those who missed it, Brown took off his shoulder pads and shirt and tossed them in the stands before walking to the locker room while the game was happening.

On his way out, he did some jumping jacks and waved to the crowd.

Why did Antonio Brown ditch his team?

New Orleans Saints v Tampa Bay Buccaneers
New Orleans Saints v Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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According to Ian Rapoport, Brown disagreed about the status of his health. He had been cleared by the medical staff to return to the game but Brown allegedly didn't feel well due to his ankle injury.

The coaching staff asked him to get in the game. Brown refused and ultimately took his shoulder pads off and jogged off the field.

Based on Rapoport's report, the walk-off was a climax to a building sense of frustration between the wide receiver and organization.

Between the suspension for a fake vaccination card and the personality clashes between him and the coaching staff, the walk-off was inevitable.

It may not have needed to happen in the game, but asking Brown to play injured seems to have been the final straw.

Brown appeared healthy enough in pre-game warmups and during the game. However, he maintains that he wasn't healthy enough to play.

After the outburst, Arians said in his post-game press conference that Brown is "no longer a Buc." Meaning, Brown's time in with the Buccaneers is over and the wide receiver will likely be officially cut very soon.

It is unclear if the NFL will leverage another suspension on Brown or if there are any clauses prohibiting him from going to another team. At this time, Brown may not be healthy enough to play.

Therefore, if he lands with another team in the coming weeks, he may not be able to play immediately.

Brown has a unique opportunity to convince any Super Bowl contenders to sign him for the playoffs. They'd have two weeks to ease Brown into the playbook.

He could act as a wild card heading into the game and could be the catalyst that leads to a Super Bowl victory.

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Brown could have stumbled into the position of a lifetime by choosing a team (assuming he has suitors).

The downside is that after his outburst, he could be seen as a liability for teams and too big of a risk to sign, even at a low price. This season, Brown has caught 42 passes for 545 yards and four touchdowns.

What will happen to Brown? We can only wait and see. The situation is developing rapidly.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Fans! Check out the latest Tampa Bay Schedule and dive into the Tampa Bay Depth Chart for NFL Season 2024-25.

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Edited by LeRon Haire
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