It’s been a whirlwind month for Antonio Brown.
As 2022 began, he was ready to step up and take on an even bigger role with the Buccaneers after an injury to Chris Godwin in late December. Days later, Brown was out of Tampa Bay, stripping off his jersey, pads and undershirt and leaving MetLife Stadium midway through a 28-24 win over the Jets on Jan. 2, leading the Buccaneers to Let it free.
Another NFL team could have selected Brown on waivers after he was cut, but he went unclaimed and is now out of the playoff picture looking inward. Since the release, he has conducted a variety of interviews and made many public appearances.
Antonio Brown timeline since the Buccaneers pitch
January 3: Rap Song Released
Hours after walking off the field against the Jets, Brown released a song on his Instagram story called “Pit Not the Palace.” Since then, it has been released to all streaming platforms.
This is not the first rap song released by Brown. He has made other music under the AB stage name, including a song called “Whole Lotta Money” that features Rick Ross. Brown had also previously appeared in a Drake music video.
January 6: statement from the lawyers
Brown spoke for the first time since his release in a way that was not a cryptic response when his attorney, Sean Burstyn, sent a statement from Brown stating that he had an ankle injury that was known to the coaching staff and that it inhibited his play. He said the team injected him with a pain reliever to help him play through the pain, but said it got to the point where he couldn’t play anymore. Brown said he was scheduled to have surgery to repair his ankle.
The Buccaneers disputed Brown’s claim, saying medical personnel examined the ankle and deemed it fit to play.
January 6: social media outburst
It wasn’t long before Brown himself began to ring. He shared text messages purportedly between himself and Bucs coach Bruce Arians on his Instagram where they discussed the ankle injury, and more between the wide receiver and Tom Brady’s longtime coach Alex Guerrero. Brown clarified that his feud with Tampa Bay was not directed at the players, but was entirely about team management.
January 7: First interview
Brown first spoke on a microphone about the drama with the Buccaneers on Jan. 7, when he was interviewed on the “Full Send” podcast.
Brown reiterated that he had an ankle injury that prevented him from wanting to play. He also lashed out at Brady, saying he had a “try it out” contract while Rob Gronkowski, another of Brady’s friends, did not. He also said that Brady is defended and his supporting cast is often left out of the picture.
Brown also played down CTE’s concerns, saying he doesn’t need anyone to question his health.
January 13: Seen with Kanye West, Madonna, Floyd Mayweather
Brown has spent a lot of time in Los Angeles, where he has recently been seen with Kanye West, Madonna and Floyd Mayweather. According to TMZ, Brown met Mayweather at the Tengoose boxing gym in Los Angeles and later met with Madonna, West and Julia Fox at the Delilah restaurant.
TMZ reported that earlier in the week, Brown had spent time with West at another Los Angeles restaurant, Craig’s.
January 21: Complex interview
Talking to Complex, Brown explained that much of her recent time has been spent hanging out with West, The Game, Big Sean and others, as she has started to focus more on music of late.
Brown said he has a new album called “Himmothy 2,” and hinted that he and West might have made music together. He also said that he has worked on the sports brand Donda with West. He said that he was thinking of putting together a documentary through Amazon and releasing more music through it.
January 24: interview “I AM AN ATHLETE”
Although the full episode has yet to be released, reports have surfaced of Brown appearing on “I AM ATHLETE” hosted by Brandon Marshall.
During the interview, Brown reportedly said that there is nothing wrong with his mental health and questioned why, whenever something bad happens, people question his mental health. He also said during the interview that he wants to play in the NFL again.
Did Antonio Brown sign with an NFL team?
Brown was released on January 6, officially ending his time as a Buccaneer.
But before he became a free agent, Brown was placed on waivers, giving any team a chance to claim him before the start of the playoffs. However, neither team claimed the wide receiver, and he has yet to sign elsewhere.
There are several reasons why this might have been the case. The first is the potential baggage that would come with signing Brown. He has faced multiple accusations of sexual assault, although he has denied them. He once threw furniture from his 14th floor apartment and almost hit a baby underneath. He was cited for speeding over 100 miles per hour. He was charged with theft of a vehicle, misdemeanor assault and misdemeanor assault. All of that happened before he signed and won a Super Bowl with the Buccaneers.
If all that wasn’t enough, he also maintained after his departure from Tampa Bay that he had a serious ankle injury that prevented him from playing against the Jets. He said that Arians did not believe in the seriousness of the injury and told him to play, causing Brown to walk out. Even if a team had signed him, there was a chance he might not even be able to play if the injury was deemed serious enough.