Antonio Brown's bizarre behavior during Sunday's game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the New York Jets has sparked more concerns about his mental health. Brown, who has a history of displaying abnormal behavior during his football career, took off his helmet, jersey and pads, waved to the crowd and tossed his gear into the stands at the MetLife Stadium before heading to the locker room while his team was still trying to secure a win against the Jets.
Brown's teammate, Mike Evans, was seen on video trying to calm the wide receiver on the sidelines.
Here's a sideline view of what happened with Antonio Brown. Looks like Mike Evans was trying to calm him down but nothing was going to help. AB took everything off and left.
(video via @mmmmillah)pic.twitter.com/sMii14O7bh
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) January 2, 2022
Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians spoke to reporters after the game and said Brown has since been released from the team.
"He is no longer a Buc. That's the end of the story," Arians said, according to ESPN.
While some social media users made jokes about the incident, others are concerned about the well-being of the NFL veteran.
Antonio Brown has appeared to have serious mental health issues for years. Stop laughing at him, stop interviewing him, stop SIGNING him to play football and somebody get the dude some help.
— Jon Doss (@JonDoss) January 2, 2022
Antonio Brown has been open about his mental health challenges, has been knocked unconscious, and suffered head injuries, right?
We’re just going to ignore those potential factors to his behavior?
ok. pic.twitter.com/nH3SGOTpds
— Sue O'Connell (@SueNBCBoston) January 2, 2022
I still believe Antonio Brown has mental health issues that just maybe too far gone to correct in a short amount of time https://t.co/O0N1BRUOB3
— JAYFORCE (@Jayforce) January 2, 2022
Antonio Brown is unstable and needs mental health treatment. The league doesn’t care as long as he runs routes and catches passes.
Without immediate help and no football, bad things could happen. Someone needs to wrap their arms around him.
— Bakari Sellers (@Bakari_Sellers) January 2, 2022
I truly believe Antonio Brown needs a mental health evaluation. This seems to be culmination of him doing things that make absolutely no sense on any logical level. It’s deeper than ego and being a “diva” as someone will undoubtedly label him. https://t.co/rQmwAlMYDJ
— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) January 2, 2022
The former Bucs receiver went to Instagram after his meltdown and expressed his views on the sport.
"Football is what we do, not who we are! Love," he wrote.
Brown, who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers for much of his career, was traded to the Oakland Raiders in 2019. However, he went to social media to publicly demand the Raiders to release him.
After the Raiders' granted his wish, Brown signed with the New England Patriots. But his time with the Patriots came to an end quickly.
It's been an eventful last 3 years for Antonio Brown.
A look at the several notable incidents, via @ESPNStatsInfo. pic.twitter.com/GeW0dwQIli
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) January 2, 2022
Brown faced serious legal trouble in 2019 when former trainer Britney Taylor accused him of sexual assault. Last year, he was charged with felony burglary with battery and two misdemeanors after an incident with a moving truck company. Brown pleaded no contest and didn't receive jail time.
The wide receiver, who won a championship with the Bucs last year, was suspended for three games in December when the NFL said he lied about his vaccination status.
Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady spoke to reporters after Sunday's game and asked people to have compassion for the receiver.
“That’s obviously a difficult situation,” Brady said, according to ProFootballTalk. “We all love him and care about him deeply. … I think everyone should be compassionate and empathetic toward some very difficult things.”
