Antonio Brown Strips Uniform, Leaves Field Waving to Fans While Bucs Losing to Jets

Antonio Brown apparently clocked out a bit early Sunday.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver removed his jersey and shoulder pads in the third quarter against the New York Jets and ran toward the locker room:

The scene was so surreal that MetLife Stadium security personnel first assumed he was a fan running onto the field.

Brown had three receptions for 26 yards on five targets prior to the bizarre incident. The Bucs went on to win 28-24 and improve to 12-4.

Head coach Bruce Arians told reporters after the game the veteran pass-catcher "is no longer a Buc."

When the team signed Brown last season, he was serving an eight-game suspension for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy. Arians told NBC Sports' Peter King at the time that the seven-time Pro Bowler would be jettisoned if he "screws up one time."

Arians didn't exactly live up to his word when Tampa Bay welcomed Brown back from a three-game suspension for misrepresenting his COVID-19 vaccination status.

"The history has changed since that statement," he told reporters of the decision. "A lot of things went on last year that I was very proud of him and I made a decision this was best for our football team."

Sunday was the straw that broke the camel's back. At the time of his exit, Tampa Bay trailed the Jets 24-10 and obviously could've used him toward overcoming the deficit.

With his Buccaneers run over, the offense will sorely miss his presence. The 33-year-old had 42 catches for 545 yards and four touchdowns in seven appearances. Brown might be out a significant chunk of money, too.

Tampa Bay will be heading into the postseason without both Brown and Chris Godwin, who suffered a season-ending torn ACL.