Arians: Brown off Bucs after mid-game exit

Antonio Brown was apparently frustrated and angry. So he walked away.

From the Buccaneers. And possibly his NFL career.

The mercurial wide receiver was kicked off the Bucs after a bizarre, shirtless exit from the field before Tom Brady coolly led the Bucs on a 93-yard drive in the final minutes for a 28-24 victory over the Jets on Sunday in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Coach Bruce Arians said after the game Brown was off the team.

“He is no longer a Buc,” Arians said. “All right? That’s the end of the story. Let’s talk about the guys who went out there and won the game.”

Brown’s mid-game meltdown came late in the third quarter with the NFC South champion Bucs trailing 24-10. He appeared animated while talking to Mike Evans, who tried to calm his teammate. But Brown stripped off his pads, jersey, gloves and T-shirt — tossing the gloves and T-shirt into the stands — and then walked bare-chested down the sideline and into the end zone. He then waved to fans as jogged through the end zone and into the tunnel at MetLife Stadium.

It appeared to be a show of frustration by Brown, who had three catches for 26 yards.

“I’m not talking about it,” Arians said. “He’s not part of the Bucs.”

Brown was suspended last month for three games for violating the league’s COVID-19 protocols. He also has a history of personal conduct issues and bizarre behavior.

“It’s a difficult situation,” Brady said. “Everybody should do what they can to help him in ways that he really needs it.”

NHL: Evan Rodrigues and Bryan Rust had hat tricks and the Penguins beat the visiting Sharks 8-5 for their eighth straight win. It was the first time the Pens had two hat tricks in a game since Dec. 11, 2008.

Soccer: Real Madrid’s run of 15 straight games without a loss in all competitions came to an end with a 1-0 road defeat to Getafe.