Antonio Brown won’t get a Super Bowl ring after the 2021 season. And neither will anyone on the Buccaneers.
Tampa Bay lost to the Rams 30-27 in the divisional round of the NFC playoffs on Sunday. Brown, who was released by the team after removing his jersey and leaving the Bucs’ Jan. 2 game against the Jets, didn’t seem too bothered by it.
Brown tweeted a postgame meme of himself, shirtless, holding a sign that reads “Bucs eliminated,” along with “I can’t” and a laughing emoji above the image.
Brown ran off the field and into the MetLife Stadium locker room in the third quarter of Tampa Bay’s Week 17 win against the Jets after removing his jersey, pads and undershirt. He did not return to the field. After the game, coach Bruce Arians said that Brown “wasn’t a Buc anymore”, a move the team made official a few days later.
Brown claimed he left because he felt he couldn’t play because of an ankle injury. Since then, he has maintained that the injury requires off-season surgery. Arians and the Buccaneers said Brown was cleared by medical staff to play in the game.
Brown has spoken on social media and in interviews about leaving the Buccaneers. recently saying complex that he could have handled his emotions better but that he also knew at that moment that he could no longer be a part of the team.
He has spent much of his time outside of football, recording music and hanging out with Kanye West and Floyd Mayweather in Los Angeles.
Brown won a ring with the Buccaneers for Super Bowl 55. He had 22 receiving yards on five receptions, including a touchdown, in the game. During his two seasons in Tampa, he caught 87 passes for 1,028 yards and eight touchdowns.