Tom Brady on Antonio Brown's Bucs Walkout: 'We All Love Him and Care About Him'

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had a dramatic, come-from-behind victory over the New York Jets on Sunday, but the focus after the game was wide receiver Antonio Brown.

Midway through the third quarter with Tampa Bay trailing, Brown inexplicably took off his jersey and shoulder pads and ran across the field shirtless before exiting to the locker room. Head coach Bruce Arians told reporters after the game that Brown is "no longer a Buc."

Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady also weighed in on the situation.

"That's obviously a difficult situation. ... We all love him and care about him deeply," Brady told reporters after the game.

Brady also alluded to some behind-the-scenes tumult involving Brown, adding, "I think everyone should be compassionate and empathetic toward some very difficult things."

Brady has long been one of Brown's staunchest supporters. He advocated for the Buccaneers to re-sign Brown this past offseason. Brady also allowed Brown to live with him in Tampa Bay for a time, the second time he's opened his home to the receiver. He also hosted Brown during his short stint with the New England Patriots.

Arians refused to go into detail about the incident. Brown had three catches for 26 yards when he exited and presumably finishes the season with 42 receptions, 545 yards and four touchdowns in seven games.

Brown is no stranger to controversy. At his height, he was statistically the best receiver in the NFL. After starting his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, he had a run of six straight seasons with over 100 receptions and 1,000 receiving yards (2013-18). Brown eventually soured on Pittsburgh, skipping practices and allegedly getting into an argument with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Brown later requested for the Steelers to trade him.

But once Brown was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders in 2019, his off-field issues began to overshadow his on-field success. The Raiders released him before he ever played a game following multiple conflicts with the coaches and personnel, including an altercation with general manager Mike Mayock.

Brown subsequently signed with the Patriots, in part thanks to Brady's recruitment, but he only suited up for one game. He was released after sexual assault and misconduct allegations against him surfaced, and he spent the rest of the 2019 season as a free agent.

Brown later faced burglary and battery charges stemming from an incident with a moving truck driver in January 2020, and he was suspended for the first eight games of the 2020 season for multiple violations of the NFL's personal conduct policy.

This season, Brown received a three-game suspension for violating the NFL's COVID-19 protocols after it was revealed he lied about his vaccination status by providing a fake vaccine card.

The Buccaneers (12-4) will end their regular season next Sunday against the Carolina Panthers. The incident with Brown is another blow to Tampa Bay's receiving corps, as star wideout Chris Godwin is done for the year after suffering a torn ACL two weeks ago.