Coach reveals truth behind Antonio Brown’s $1 million tantrum

Antonio Brown’s shirtless outburst in the NFL has left the sport stunned and concerned for his health after his costly walkout.

Antonio Brown's tantrum cost him $1m. Photo: Twitter and Getty Images

Antonio Brown’s mid-game shirtless meltdown has stunned the sports world but Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians has revealed what caused the explosion.

The 33-year-old wide receiver had been given opportunities at both the New England Patriots and the Buccaneers thanks to his friendship with legendary quarterback Tom Brady, despite accusations of sexual assault and pleading no contest to charges of felony burglary and battery in the last three years.

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Brown has seemingly used up all his chances in the NFL after ugly exits from the Pittsburgh Steelers, Oakland Raiders, New England and now Tampa Bay.

He even had a three-game suspension earlier this season after lying about his vaccination status.

But the explosion was reportedly sparked as Bucs coach Bruce Arians tried to get Brown into the game.

Speaking to Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer, Arians said Brown refused to go into the game and when he refused a second time, the controversial star began to take his shirt off.

“Yeah, I did (see it),” Arians told Glazer. “Never seen anything like it in all my years.”

In his post-match press conference, Tampa Bay coach Bruce Arians said after the game Brown was “no longer a Buc” — effectively confirming he had been sacked.

“That is the story,” Arians added. “I’m no longer talking about him.”

Antonio Brown's exit stunned the US. Photo: Twitter

Without Brown, the Buccaneers came from 24-10 down to claim a 28-24 victory.

Brown had recorded three receptions before leaving in the third quarter.

According to Fox Sports’ Jen Hale, Brown received a police escort to the airport, and had not communicated with the team about where he planned to go.

The storm off is expected to be costly as well as Brown reportedly left a million dollars on the table as he was close to achieving three bonuses, each worth $US333,333 each.

Spotrac reported he needed just eight catches, 55 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown to unlock bonuses worth a third of a million dollars each.

Antonio Brown needed:

8 more catches to unlock a $333,333 bonus.

He also needed 55 receiving yards to unlock another $333,333 bonus.

He also needed just 1 receiving TD to unlock another $333,333 bonus.

This was a costly outburst.

— Spotrac (@spotrac) January 2, 2022

But while the world was left in disbelief over the storm off, some began to worry about Brown’s mental health.

Some fans pointed to potential effects of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) which is found in people who have repeated head traumas, citing a 2016 playoff game when he was knocked unconscious, or dealing with mental health problems, while other slammed his actions.

Last year Brown said he was dealing with mental health issues and felt like “an animal in a cage” due to his profile as a professional footballer.

But as for CTE, he said: “Nah if I had CTE I wouldn’t be able to have this beautiful gym, I wouldn’t be able to be creative. I wouldn’t be able to communicate.”

CTE can only be diagnosed in people after death at this point but can include symptoms such as cognitive impairment, memory loss, impulsive behaviour and depression to name a few.

Antonio Brown was all smiles before the game. Photo by Elsa/Getty Images

Brady spoke to media after the game and said Brown needed help.

“I think everybody should hopefully do what they can to help him in ways that he really needs it,” Brady told reporters. “We all love him. We care about him deeply. We want to see him be at his best.

“Unfortunately he can’t be with our team but we have a lot of friendships that will last. Again I think the most important things about football are the relationships with your friends and your teammates, and they go beyond the field. I think everyone should be very compassionate and empathetic with some difficult things that are happening.”

— with New York Post

Originally published as Coach reveals truth behind Antonio Brown’s $1 million tantrum