Tampa Bay’s gifted wide receiver finally found a rule to break that will be judged more seriously than his many more grevious off-field sins: He quit on his team on live television
In a normal universe, we’d be solely focused on the final minutes of a drama-filled classic between the Buccaneers and Jets. We’d gush over Tom Brady’s game-winning drive that again ripped whatever semblance of hope remains in New York’s long-suffering fans. We’d marvel at Brady’s unmistakable precision with under two minutes, culminating in his cool-as-a-cucumber delivery on a 33-yard touchdown strike to Cyril Grayson that left not nearly enough time for Zach Wilson to respond. We’d question Robert Saleh’s decision to go for it on fourth-and-2 at the Bucs’ seven-yard line instead of kicking a field goal that would opened a seven-point lead with two minutes to spare.
Instead, this game will be remembered for a different brand of dramatic: Antonio Brown adding to his endless list of disturbing antics. In the third quarter, with the Tampa Bay offense on the field mid-drive, a visibly furious Brown removed his jersey on the sideline, threw his shoulder pads down, then cascaded across the end zone, tore off his tank top, threw the tank and a glove with vigor into a sea of Jets fans, then continued shirtless into the tunnel with one final peace sign before fading to black.