Antonio Brown was supposed to be all done with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
He removed his pads on the field Sunday against the New York Jets and made a scene as he left the field.
He then hopped into an Uber to add even more insanity to the situation.
Brown claims he was hurt, and head coach Bruce Arians claims that was not the case.
The situation is messy and it seemed like the receiver was going to be cut.
Arians said as much himself.
But it is Tuesday and NFL insider Adam Schefter revealed the Buccaneers are keeping Brown around.
For the second straight day, WR Antonio Brown did not show up on today’s NFL wire, meaning the Buccaneers still hold his rights, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 4, 2022
There are several plausible explanations for why Tampa Bay is not releasing him just yet.
Why Are The Bucs Keeping Brown?
Perhaps the most cynical explanation is that the Buccaneers don’t want Brown landing on another team.
Releasing him sends him to waivers and then potentially to free agency.
While Tampa may be done with him, it’s possible they fear another team could pick him up.
That could mean the Buccaneers have to go up against Brown in the postseason just weeks after letting him go.
Antonio Brown waiting for the Uber 😂
📸: @FreeGjr pic.twitter.com/K7ExlwUScL
— PFF (@PFF) January 2, 2022
The less cynical view is that the Buccaneers will just suspend Brown so he can stay on the roster for now and get any help he needs.
Could this actually be the case?
Yes, but a competitive advantage by keeping him around still wouldn’t be a shock in today’s NFL.
There is also no guarantee Brown would want to play elsewhere at this point.
He left money on the table by walking off the field in New York and that could mean he has finally had enough.
Figuring out what is going on in this situation has become far too difficult and remains a distraction in Tampa Bay.
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