“Whenever It Started To Sour, It Like Really Got Sour”
May 29th, 2023
2021 teammate weighs in.
Joe remains interested in the historic Antonio Brown meltdown of January 2022 as the Bucs rallied to beat the Jets on the road.
Why? Because the Brown derailment probably cost the Bucs a place in history as back-to-back Super Bowl champions.
Brown was that talented, and he was a proven postseason performer the Bucs could have maximized in the playoffs.
Instead, Brown was falling apart behind the scenes, culminating in him quitting during that Jets game and doing topless jumping jacks in the end zone as he left the stadium.
Former Bucs left guard Ali Marpet, during a recent visit to The Beer Money Podcast, reflected on being Brown’s teammate and the breakdown of the future Hall of Fame receiver’s Tampa Bay tenure.
“He was positive. He was extremely positive,” Marpet said of Brown. “And then towards the end there, my own perspective, I don’t really know what it was – maybe he wasn’t getting the ball enough, whatever – but at some point whenever it started to sour, it like really got sour. He genuinely I don’t think wanted to be there in that capacity [as a player] and everybody felt that and he walked off on his terms, I suppose.”
The “everbody felt that” line from Marpet is key. That’s what Joe was told; Brown was losing it behind the scenes and Lavonte David was among those helping Brown keep his mind right enough to play football.
Joe also heard of Brown berating/trash talking general manager Jason Licht on the Tampa Bay sidelines during the game against Carolina in the week prior to the Jets meltdown. In that game, Brown caught 10 balls for 101 yards in a blowout Bucs win — while he allegedly seethed about his contract.
Marpet went on to re-emphisize how positive and enthusiastic Brown was as a teammate until things went sour.
May 29th, 2023 at 6:13 pm
I am convinced that A.B. has a few emotional and mental health issues that will continue to get worse over time. Unfortunately…
May 29th, 2023 at 6:16 pm
If AB didn’t like his contract he shouldn’t have signed it! I doubt that anyone put a gun to his head and forced him to sign.
Had he finished the season and helped the Bucs go deep into the playoffs and possibly win another Super Bowl then the Bucs or some other team would have paid the man more money. But leaving the way he did made it so NO team would take a chance with him, except maybe for the arena league team that he owns.
May 29th, 2023 at 6:20 pm
We get. He’s a mental patient. It’s really that simple.
May 29th, 2023 at 7:04 pm
It wouldn’t be such a big deal if he wasn’t so darn talented. He could’ve been the best WR ever to play the game. He was that good. It’s a shame.
May 29th, 2023 at 7:13 pm
Was wondering why we didn’t gave him a little more? Just 6mil? He had a fantastic SB year and was outplaying younger guys. He could’ve pushed us over rams. He could’ve behaved better with more money. I mean litch payed Gage 10mil/3years and how is that going?
May 29th, 2023 at 7:29 pm
Who could have possibly seen that dog biting again? It was almost a foregone conclusion that he was going to go thermo nuclear at some point, it was just a matter of where and when.
May 29th, 2023 at 7:35 pm
Basically comes down too. “Throw me the damn ball.” – Keyshawn Johnson
May 29th, 2023 at 7:59 pm
100 % Hodad, well we got 1 SB out of him.
May 29th, 2023 at 8:01 pm
Just a real shame.
May 29th, 2023 at 8:59 pm
That guy craves attention. It’s not the football. He wasn’t getting enough emotional support (in his head ) Tommy wasn’t calling as much. Gronk said jo to thr last 3 invites. Bruce said something mean. He reminds me of a old lady who always think she’s got done sickness. Then calls everybody to get attentione and love. He’s just what he is. A 8 year old in a grown man’s body.
May 29th, 2023 at 9:01 pm
This is the stuff where I’m like, really Brady? You thought Miami or Vegas would be better? Licht/BA did everything he wanted, including putting up with this, and you’re not happy to be here? C’mon
May 29th, 2023 at 9:07 pm
Good player with no brain. What a shame.
May 29th, 2023 at 9:14 pm
It ain’t the first GM he’s hammered on. Didn’t he call the Raiders GM a cracker. It must really eat at Brady…. Vouch for him, let him live at your house, be apart of your family, get him back in a league that no one wanted him apart of and put your dang near perfect reputation on the line. Just to have him go bat crap crazy forging Covid cards, bringing in Covid carrying OF girl to make “content” with before a game, oh sneak her in, run off the field half naked and quit/get fired and then making jokes about your family and divorce during one of the roughest times in your life….. can’t understand why no one wants him for this upcoming season!! 😂 another one of those things you’ll never see again and it just so happens to land on Tampa…. Weird how Tampa always has them.
May 29th, 2023 at 9:15 pm
He’s a turd. I’m surprised he lasted as long as he did. In the future I’d prefer to be “all in” with homegrown talent and guys who want to play for our team. Selling out and bringing in sh!tbags like AB is a stain on the team’s integrity.
May 29th, 2023 at 9:15 pm
It’s like playing Russian Roulette. The first time we pulled the trigger there was no bullet and we won the Super Bowl. The second time we pulled it… BAM
May 29th, 2023 at 9:27 pm
He is not a good fellow. When he is “positive” he is faking it. Easy to see! Someone should have beat his ass in the locker room or on the sideline.
May 29th, 2023 at 9:42 pm
If the “money” and/or feeling disrespected was his “problem” – AB had no one but himself to blame for his “low” contract.
Dude had already flamed out hard with 3 teams and everyone in the league knew he was a risk to go mental at any time. Frankly, he’s lucky the Bucs didn’t offer vet minimum for 2022….
Brown’s behavior leading up to and then during that Jets game was exactly why he didn’t get paid whatever he thought he was worth.
May 29th, 2023 at 9:43 pm
2021 – not 2022.
May 29th, 2023 at 9:48 pm
Who cares what about the 2023 season ?, that is what we should be worry about.
May 29th, 2023 at 11:47 pm
I am curious how much more Cornholio Clown is making, than the $3.1 Million($2 Million @ signing) contract, he didn’t honor?
May 29th, 2023 at 11:52 pm
I’m still convinced he didn’t know there was a 17th game and he thought he was missing his incentives, so he quit. But we can all agree, it had nothing to do with his ankle.
May 29th, 2023 at 11:57 pm
Toad Bowels needs a guy like AB to liven things up.
Bring back AB and let him straighten out Devin White !!!
May 29th, 2023 at 11:58 pm
Oops. Got them mixed up.
Bring back BA, not that psycho AB
May 30th, 2023 at 3:47 am
AB was mentally ill and on the edge. Yet teams roll the dice with these kinds of lunatics because they always think they have the resources and locker room to control the insane, hoping to just get through seasons with these “talents”.
Bucs had it blow up in their faces in the ugliest way possible. Don’t forget how it also ruined the locker room, trust in the coaches, everything.
This plus a host of other growing problems cost them a likely repeat, and Brady, another ring. And it was Brady who believed in crazy AB.
May 30th, 2023 at 4:56 am
Asshats with talent who have been treated with kid gloves there entire adult lives never being told to sit down and shut up. This is what you get. Arians told him to sit down and shut up.
May 30th, 2023 at 6:06 am
On the AB conversation…Not for nothing, but losing Wirfs was the bigger loss during our playoff run. The magic with Brady is all about given him time to throw the ball. No bigger example of that than this past season. Then I would argue losing Godwin and/or Grayson was the next worst loss because of what they brought to BA’s offensive scheme, which was playing out of the slot with the ability to block. I think most casual observers didn’t realize what a big deal Godwin is in the slot and he’s a beast of a blocker, it’s essentially what makes Cooper Kupp the stud he is.
I remember all the guys that were left after the injuries and the AB fallout, they were all the same type of receiver. We even picked up John Brown, who was a stud in his prime, but he really wasn’t a slot guy, never saw that field that I recall. And who knew if Mr. Glass Perriman was every going to play, again, he’s outside guy, even with his size, he wasn’t known for his blocking. 49ers line in the NFC championship game would have been a problem to deal with if we would have made it that far. Just Say’n.
May 30th, 2023 at 7:38 am
I think both Wirfs getting hurt and AB’s meltdown were great reasons why we did not repeat.
So underrated in sports is having that good locker room. Do you need a good locker room to win it all in pro football, probably not? But besides having a top quarterback, it is one of the things that will make a difference. Look at the Miami Heat today.
Probably that reason more than anything else, is why if I were Jason Licht, I might be considering moving Devin White (or should have moved him).
There seems to be continuing evidence (from my seat) that he will be a distraction and will hurt the locker room culture of this team moving forward. I hope, I am wrong.
May 30th, 2023 at 7:59 am
That’s the thing about bipolar people. When they are up, they are great to be around. But when the low hits…
May 30th, 2023 at 8:48 am
@Irishmist – good observation
May 30th, 2023 at 9:06 am
F AB
May 30th, 2023 at 9:30 am
It really hurt losing Brown, because he had the knack of getting open.
He was very hard to cover. I will never forget that time he spun the Honey Badger completely around, when he beat him in the end zone.
Arians was a total Hot Head, and one can only wonder if Brown would still be here, if things were handled differently ?
One thing is for sure, his loss hurt our team.
May 30th, 2023 at 9:45 am
“Was wondering why we didn’t gave him a little more? Just 6mil? He had a fantastic SB year and was outplaying younger guys. He could’ve pushed us over rams. He could’ve behaved better with more money. I mean litch payed Gage 10mil/3years and how is that going”
Why do you think that would of changed anything ? Look at what the Raiders gave him and he didn’t even make it through camp
May 30th, 2023 at 10:50 am
I may be in the minority but I am thankful he is gone, I doubt he had to use Greyhound, but if he did thanks for taking him to his safe place.
I do hope if Brown has any mental health issues that he gets that part of his life under control. Great WR was sad to see his demise before our eyes.
Move along, he is no longer a Buccaneer. I heard he is a part owner or complete owner of an AFL team. Good luck Mr. Brown in that endevor.
May 30th, 2023 at 2:17 pm
BA Never liked nor wanted AB.. Brady pussed to get AB on the team . the covid vaccination card nonsense pissed off Licht , BA & others . BA always has been a hot head as was AB —but BA was the coach & Licht agreed not to adjust the contract.
Net,net AB left as he did & we were not able to repeat
May 30th, 2023 at 6:12 pm
Chris@Apple Roof Cleaning Tampa Says:
“Arians was a total Hot Head, and one can only wonder if Brown would still be here, if things were handled differently?”
.
.
Arians on the sideline had nothing to do with it. Brown planned the meltdown for days. It was in his text history.