Retired Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David shared insights into the moments before Antonio Brown’s unusual ejection during a 2022 matchup against the Jets at MetLife Stadium.
Clearly upset on the sidelines, Brown removed his shoulder pads, tossed his gloves and shirt into the stands, and then ran shirtless across the end zone to the locker room.
On a recent episode of the “Bussin’ With The Boys” podcast, David recalled that Brown appeared “angry” during halftime and seemed on the verge of losing control.
“Leading up to that incident, you could see the buildup,” David, who played all 14 seasons of his NFL career in Tampa Bay, mentioned. “He walked into the locker room one day, hanging out like usual, but started complaining… I think it was about not scoring a touchdown or something like that.”
David continued, “And I was like, ‘Dude, you went over 100 yards. What’s the issue?’ I could sense he was about to snap.”
He added that team management had asked him to help calm Brown down during a practice when he was “acting strange.”
“He was running around, catching balls, throwing them to teammates, and even being aggressive with coaches… So, honestly, the way he behaved during that Jets game didn’t shock me at all,” David said.
After the Buccaneers won the Super Bowl against the Chiefs in 2021, there was optimism for another title run. However, the team ended up finishing 8-9 and lost in the wild card round. David reflected, “AB was a huge player for us, and his actions kept me from that second Super Bowl opportunity. He was incredibly talented, but if things bothered him, you were going to see the unpredictable side of him.”
David mentioned that he never discussed the incident with Brown, though they did run into each other at a Miami Heat game that offseason.
“He acted like everything was fine. I didn’t want to bring it up; I thought it might set him off again… I got the feeling he wanted more attention on the field, but maybe it was something deeper,” David speculated.
“I think he desired to be one of the highest-paid players, but that didn’t happen, and he saw other players, like Rob Gronkowski, making more money and felt some type of way about it.”
After the game against the Jets, then-Bucs head coach Bruce Arians declared that Brown was no longer on the team, and a few days later, he was officially let go.
Since then, Brown has not returned to the NFL and has encountered numerous issues off the field that affected his career.
