Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians said after Sunday’s game that Antonio Brown is “no longer a Buc.” But officially, he is.
The Buccaneers did not cut Brown today and there are ongoing discussions with the NFL about how to handle the matter, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
It’s possible that the team would prefer that Brown be suspended, rather than released, for taking off his jersey and walking off the field during Sunday’s game against the Jets.
If Brown does get cut, he would go on waivers, where the 31 other teams would have the opportunity to claim him. If he passed through waivers, he would then become an unrestricted free agent, and a team could sign him for the final game of the regular season and the postseason.
Arians made clear that Brown is done playing for the Buccaneers, but it remains to be seen whether he’ll have the opportunity to catch on with someone else in the coming weeks, and whether any team would want the talented but troubled Brown if he becomes available.