Often, professional athletes will leave a team at the end of a season. Sometimes, they’ll do so more abruptly — but that generally translates to the middle of a season. And then there’s what Tampa Bay’s Antonio Brown did on Sunday in the third quarter of a game against the New York Jets.
As NBC Sports reported, Brown lost his temper on the sidelines — which led to him taking off his pants and jersey and walking to the locker room in the middle of the game. This appears to be the end of Brown’s time as a Buccaneer; the team’s head coach, Bruce Arians, told media that the wide receiver “is no longer a Buc” following the game.
Following the game, Tom Brady — who’s played with Brown on both the Buccaneers and the Patriots — called for empathy regarding Brown’s situation. “We all love him and care about him deeply,” Brady said. “I think everyone should be compassionate and empathetic toward some very difficult things.”
Brown’s exit from the game is the latest high-profile example of strange or troubling behavior on his part. Reddit user Tmans3 assembled a comprehensive list of them. Some of them come off as eccentric (dyeing his mustache! arriving at training via hot air balloon!), while others — specifically, the accusations of sexual harassment and sexual assault — are much more chilling.
The cumulative effect suggests someone who is not well, however. And it remains to be seen if the events at Sunday’s game will finally get Brown the mental health assistance he — by all appearances — is in need of.
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