Bucs had issues with Antonio Brown prior to sideline meltdown

Wide receiver Antonio Brown. Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Relationship between Bucs, Antonio Brown had been deteriorating prior to sideline meltdown

By Chelena Goldman | Last updated 1/3/22

It's unlikely this news comes as a surprise to anyone. But, apparently, the relationship between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Antonio Brown had been deteriorating long before his dramatic outburst and exit from Sunday's game against the New York Jets.

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapaport, the Bucs had grown increasingly aggravated with the wide receiver for a variety of reasons, and his outburst during Sunday's game was just the tipping point.

"There has been a boiling frustration inside the organization about Antonio Brown," Rapaport said. "Endless issues with Antonio Brown. We saw the endpoint yesterday with him taking his clothes off and running off the field, but that's certainly not where it started."

From @GMFB: The relationship between the #Bucs and Antonio Brown was quietly going the wrong way for some time. Then he refused to enter the game and was tossed from the sidelines. A look at how it all went so wrong… pic.twitter.com/3TcfmXYho7
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 3, 2022

According to Rapaport, one source of tension was how honest Brown had been with the organization regarding his vaccination status. While head coach Bruce Arians remained tight-lipped about Brown's future following his three-game suspension for producing a fake COVID-19 vaccination card, it appears now that the writing was already on the wall.

Another reason the Bucs' relationship with Brown had soured was that they didn't think he was taking the rehab process for his ankle injury seriously. In the leadup to Sunday's outburst, Brown reportedly claimed his ankle wasn't healthy enough for him to be playing, although Arians told the press on Monday the altercation on the sidelines had nothing to do with him being injured.

Brown was reportedly cut from the team during the third quarter of Sunday's game prior to him stripping down and doing jumping jacks as he jogged off the field.

Tampa Bay is expected to place Brown on waivers on Monday afternoon and he will become a free agent if he clears.

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