Antonio Brown Melts Down Mid-Game

By Joseph Askin ‘24
During week 17 of the National Football League’s regular season, former Tampa-Bay Buccaneer wide receiver Antonio Brown strangely removed his uniform before leaving the field mid-game against the New York Jets.

Brown’s actions left fans astonished and confused as they witnessed the seven-time pro-bowl player seemingly argue with his coach, before running shirtless off the field for what would undoubtedly be his last game as a Buccaneer.
Like many NFL fans, sophomore Doron Finkel, “couldn't believe what [he] was watching, seeing one of the best wide receivers in NFL history quit mid-game.” Finkel added that “Brown's actions weren't just embarrassing for the entire Buccaneer franchise, but for the NFL as a whole.”
Junior Isaac Groffman who was at the game that day said, “At first I thought it was a crazy fan trying to get on tv for taking his clothes off or something.  It all happened so quickly.”
For Brown, however, embarrassing moments are nothing new. Back in January 2020, the player was charged with a felony of burglary and battery following an incident with a moving truck driver, which resulted in an eight-game suspension. Earlier this season, Brown was suspended for three games after being caught using a fake vaccination card.
“I think the situation has to do more with his mental health than his desire to play football,” said junior Raf Turesky who was at the game that day.  He added, “Antonio Brown’s wild antics didn’t come as a surprise to anyone in the stadium.”
Freshman Solomon Langer who also was at the game said, “All I could think was that he was definitely ruining his career.”
Throughout his career Brown’s actions have hurt not only his reputation, but also his teams’. 
In a post-game press conference, Head coach Bruce Arians refused to comment on the earlier incident, apart from declaring that Brown was no longer a “Buc.”  Fans worldwide then began to speculate whether Brown’s recent behavior possibly stemmed from his battle with chronic traumatic encephalopathy, commonly known as CTE. This progressive brain condition is commonly associated with athletes in contact sports like football, and results from repeated blows to the head. 
Brown, however, denied these claims, later releasing his own statement on the event. 
The star receiver revealed that an ankle injury had severely hindered him in the previous weeks, and recalled that the Buccaneer medical staff injected him with an extremely powerful and sometimes dangerous painkiller as treatment before the game. 
According to Brown, who played in the first half, his ankle had become too painful to continue competing. He additionally claimed that Coach Arians provided him with an unreasonable ultimatum: play through the injury or be cut. Brown continuously stressed that he did not quit, but was simply cut for refusing to play through his pain. 
“Even if Brown's statements were true, there still was no reason for him to respond to the situation in such a way,” sophomore Avi Tobin said. “Brown acted immaturely and childish, and failed to set a good example for fans, kids especially,” Tobin continued. 
In response to Brown, Arians told reporters that he had no information regarding the ankle injury treatment before the game, and that he would not have played him if that was the case. Arians noted that he had observed Brown’s clear frustration at halftime, but had ensured that everything was amended before the second half began. However, Arians approached an enraged Brown midway through the third quarter, and following a brief argument, Arians promptly said that Brown was “done”.
“No matter the circumstances, cutting someone mid-game, especially because of an injury, is not how players should be treated,” sophomore Zach Siegel said. Siegel stressed that “Brown should have been treated with more respect… Arians could have at least attempted to deal with the situation privately after the game.” 
With Brown, the Buccaneers undoubtedly lost a tremendous asset to their championship aspirations. While Brown is no longer the receiver he once was, the future Hall of Famer still brings a unique skill set to any team. Nevertheless, organizations across the league certainly must take into account Brown’s recent problematic history before considering signing him to their team.