EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Antonio Brown was kicked off the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 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 against the New York Jets on Sunday.
Coach Bruce Arians said after the game that Brown was off the team.
“He is no longer a Buc,” Arians said.
Brown’s mid-game meltdown came late in the third quarter with Tampa Bay trailing 24-10. He appeared animated while talking to teammate Mike Evans when he 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 he 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.
Brown, who played for the Steelers from 2010-18, 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.
Brady connected with Cameron Brate for touchdown on fourth-and-goal from the 4 shortly after Brown’s exit, and the QB finished the Bucs’ rally with a 33-yard touchdown pass to Cyril Grayson with 15 seconds left.
The Bucs stuffed Jets QB on fourth-and-2 at the 7 for no gain with New York trying to seal the victory, giving Brady and the Bucs the ball back with 2:12 left.
It was more than enough time.
Brady marched the Buccaneers (12-4) down the field on nine plays, zipping a pass to Grayson — who was elevated from the practice squad — for the go-ahead score. It was Brady’s third TD pass of the game and 40th of the season, joining him with Drew Brees as the only players to throw for 40 touchdowns in consecutive seasons.
He finished 34 of 50 for 410 yards, the three TDs and an interception for Tampa Bay, which had Arians back after he tested positive for the coronavirus earlier in the week.
Le’Veon Bell ran in the 2-point conversion against his former team, forcing New York to need a touchdown. But the Jets (4-12) ran out of time.
The game featured the largest age gap between starting quarterbacks since at least 1950, with the 22-year-old Wilson facing the 44-year-old Brady.
The Jets took a two-touchdown lead on Ty Johnson’s 1-yard run that capped their opening drive of the second half.
After Brown’s exit and Brady’s TD to Brate, Ryan Succop kicked a 27-yard field goal to cut New York’s lead to 24-20 with 7:36 left.
First Published: January 2, 2022, 9:55 p.m.
