Antonio Brown refused to enter Buccaneers game when Bruce Arians asked

Antonio Brown’s meltdown seems to have been prompted by a request to go into the game.

Bucs coach Bruce Arians told Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer that he was trying to get Brown into the game, which the wide receiver refused. When he refused a second time, Arians reportedly told him to get out.

Brown did so, emphatically — creating a spectacle by removing his shirt, throwing it into the crowd and waving his arms before going up the tunnel.

Antonio Brown leaves Sunday’s Buccaneers-Jets game shirtless.

Fox

“Yeah, I did [see it],” Arians told Glazer. “Never seen anything like it in all my years.”

During his press conference after the Buccaneers’ 28-24 win over the Jets, the only comment Arians offered was to say Brown is no longer with the team.

Bruce Arians before Sunday’s Buccaneers-Jets game.

AP

Quarterback Tom Brady asked for compassion and empathy toward Brown, whom he considers a good friend.

Antonio Brown’s pads on the Buccaneers sideline after he left Sunday’s game.

Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post

He recorded three receptions before leaving in the third quarter. According to Fox Sports’ Jen Hale, Brown received a police escort to the airport, and had not communicated with the team about where he planned to go.