Last Sunday, Tampa Bay played the Jets in New Jersey. Tom Brady added another comeback to his ledger, but that’s not what people talked about. It was Antonio Brown. Brown off his pads, gloves, and shirt, marched shirtless to the end zone, waved to the crowd, and left the field. What now for Brown?
The story, so it goes, is that head coach Bruce Arians wanted Brown to go into the game. Brown refused, saying he was injured, and Arians responded angrily and told Brown that if he didn’t play, he was off the team.
After Sunday’s game, the media asked Arians and Brady about the incident in the press conference. Arians didn’t want to talk about it but said he is not a Buc anymore. Brady noted that Brown needs help and compassion, and he hopes Brown gets the help he needs. Long-time fellow player and friend Le’Veon Bell said the same thing.
Whether accurate or not, it’s clear that Brown needs help. That’s because last Sunday’s episode isn’t a one-off. Brown has had disagreements with multiple NFL teams, including the Steelers, Raiders, and Patriots. The most recent misstep was Brown telling the team he had been vaccinated, using what turned out to be a fake vaccination card for proof.
The interesting thing is that Brown has not been cut from the Bucs. He has been suspended.
Then, the big question is what will happen if the Bucs cut Brown? Will another NFL team take a chance on him? It’s hard to tell right now, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him back on the field if a team (and there are more than a few) needs help at receiver.
No matter what may come next in his football career, Brown needs help identifying and dealing with his erratic behavior.
