Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Antonio Brown is finally addressing his mental health, adamantly claiming there's absolutely NOTHING wrong with his mental well-being ... during an in-depth sit-down interview with Brandon Marshall.

The 7x Pro Bowler joined Marshall's "I AM ATHLETE" show with ex-NBA star Nick Young and former 1st round NFL draft pick Jared Odrick ... where they chopped it up about everything from AB's future in the league to whether he has regrets about the end of his Bucs tenure.

Brown -- who has heard endless fans and experts refer to him as "crazy" -- also addressed his psyche ... and he didn't mince words.

"Why every time something happens bad, or how someone reacts, 'Aw, he's crazy, there's something wrong with his mental health,'" AB asked.

"There's nothing wrong with my mental health. Someone told me to get the f**k out of here. I'm not passive-aggressive."

Of course, Brown is referring to the reaction after he took his jersey, pads, and shirt off in the middle of the game for the Jets, before walking off the field.

During the interview, AB again put the onus on Bruce Arians ... insisting the Bucs head coach knew he was injured, but just didn't give a crap, and attempted to force him to play with a serious injury.

"An NFL Super Bowl team coach told a guy on the team who's playing hurt 'get the f*** out of here.'"

AB's 2021 season is obviously over. Question is, does AB -- one of the greatest WR's of his generation -- ever play another down of NFL football?

During the interview with Brandon and the guys, sources tell us Antonio makes it crystal clear he wants to play, but accepts it's also dependent on an NFL squad signing him.

That could a long shot after the way his tenure in Las Vegas, New England and Tampa Bay ended.

Bruce Arians will have to pay up for slapping his own player's helmet during last weekend's playoff game ... 'cause the NFL is fining him $50k for the incident.

The moment happened during the Bucs vs. Eagles Wild Card game on Sunday ... after Philly receiver Jalen Reagor fumbled a punt return and Tampa Bay recovered.

During the pileup, Bucs safety Andrew Adams appeared to try to get Philly players out of the way ... which pissed Arians off to the point of striking the 29-year-old in the helmet.

The whole thing was caught on camera during the broadcast ... with Troy Aikman admitting he was puzzled by Arians' actions.

"He takes a wack at Adams," Troy Aikman said at the time. "Not exactly sure what that's about."

The 69-year-old coach explained after the game that he struck Adams to avoid a penalty.

"You can’t pull guys out of a pile," Arians said during postgame interviews.

"We just got a big play, great field position, and he’s trying to pull a guy out of a pile, and I was trying to knock him off of that guy so he didn’t get a penalty."

Antonio Brown's very public tour of the country following his infamous exit from the Buccaneers continued at Crypto.com Arena on Monday -- where he jumped on a railing to get love from fans who were chanting his name.

The former Tampa Bay star -- who's been spotted in NYC, Miami and now L.A. since being cut from the Bucs -- caused quite the scene outside of the Lakers game ... being mobbed by people who wanted autographs and pics with the NFL player.

Video, obtained by TMZ Sports, shows it all went down just minutes after Brown watched LeBron James beat the Utah Jazz from courtside seats inside the building.

People wanted his pic and signature so badly -- Brown stayed for several minutes, and then he hopped on some skinny railing to entertain them.

The fans chanted "AB" over and over again ... all while he was standing on the fencing and waving his arms.

What's interesting -- Brown has claimed his ankle is completely jacked up ... but it certainly looked like it was healing up well while he was feet in the air balancing on the barrier.

Brown has not shied away one bit from the public eye since he threw a shirtless temper tantrum at MetLife Stadium -- he's been seen at NBA games repeatedly and has also been spotted dining with stars like Kanye West in recent days as well.

Buccaneers and Eagles fans got into an insane brawl in the upper level of Raymond James Stadium on Sunday ... with one fan violently throwing another down a row of stairs.

The wild scene all went down during the Eagles vs. Buccaneers playoff game in Tampa Bay ... when two Philly fans appeared to start a fight while their team was down 31-0.

You can see in video filmed by bystanders, a man in a Fletcher Cox Eagles jersey got into a scuffle with a Bucs fan -- and then all hell broke loose.

A fan in a Brian Dawkins jersey hurled a Tampa Bay fan down some stairs -- and then he was immediately whaled on by a group of pissed-off Bucs fans.

No word on how the fight was broken up or if anyone suffered injuries in the melee. We've reached out to cops, but so far, no word back yet.

Antonio Brown says he loves Tom Brady and has spoken to the 7x Super Bowl champ -- despite questioning TB12's friendship after he was cut by the Bucs -- telling TMZ Sports Brady is a "true friend."

We talked to AB outside Via Allora in Beverly Hills on Friday ... and asked the Pro Bowl wideout about the current status of his relationship with Brady.

"Listen, I love Tom. That's my guy. Don't get it twisted. A lot of words were taken out of substance. Tom is one of my true friends in the midst of adversity that was there for me, so don't get it twisted about nothing with Tom Brady."

Brown continued ... "He's a G.O.A.T. Great player. Great teammate."

Of course, Antonio had a different take on the Full Send podcast last week when he pondered Brady's motivation for befriending him.

"Not everybody in sports is going to be your friend. Tom Brady's my friend why? Because I'm a good football player. He needs me to play football," Brown told the guys.

But, during our conversation with AB, he makes it clear he's still tight with Tom, regardless of what he said during an emotional time.

There's much more.

We also talked to Antonio -- who was with business partner Jas Mathur -- about the Bucs playoff game against the Eagles, hanging out with Madonna, a potential musical collab with Kanye West, an ankle injury update, and what he'd say to NFL front offices who may be hesitant to sign him.

On linking up with Ye, AB told us ... "We got something brewing. We got a lot of stuff working."

Brown added, "It's coming soon."

As for the situation in Tampa Bay ... the 7x Pro Bowler wholeheartedly believes Bucs head coach Bruce Arians was out of line, but AB also admits he could've navigated the situation with more tact.

"Obviously I could've handled my emotions better. But, sometimes under anger, you may not handle yourself the right way."

Antonio Brown appears to be showing some regret over his infamous, shirtless breakup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers ... admitting his wild outburst was unprofessional and unnecessary.

AB touched down in Los Angeles Monday afternoon after a week of living it up in NYC ... and just hours after his flight to the west coast, he hit up hotspot Craig's for a bite to eat with his new buddy, Kanye West.

But, before he went inside, the Super Bowl champ had a quick convo with the camera guys about his bizarre departure from last Sunday's game ... and he seems to wish he had handled himself differently.

"It probably wasn't necessary or professional," AB said ... all while keeping a smile on his face.

It's an interesting admission -- AB had previously been giving the middle finger to the Bucs since the breakup ... claiming they were trying to force him to play with an ankle injury prior to his exit.

Despite all the drama, AB has shifted his focus to music ... and has been linking up with some huge names like Fabolous after his season ended.

As for why he dined with Kanye? Rumor has it the rap legend wants to collab with AB on a track.

Video of Antonio Brown's infamous meltdown that led to his eventual cut from the Bucs is getting the NFT treatment ... and it can be all yours, if you've got some serious coin laying around.

TMZ Sports has learned ... footage of Brown's Jan. 2 blowup at MetLife Stadium has been turned into an NFT -- and it will go up for auction on Jan. 13.

We're told the non-fungible token is expected to garner a bunch of bids -- and, considering just how viral the video went following its posting on social media, the final price could get into 7 figures.

The tweet alone garnered over 11.5 million views ... and, given how similarly viral NFTs have sold in the past, the expectation is the winning bidder could pay in the area of $1.5 MILLION to own the piece.

A hefty price tag, we know ... but the clip is now entrenched in NFL history.

As we reported, Brown was kicked off the Bucs following the shirtless jaunt ... and it very well could end up being the last time the potential Hall of Famer is seen wearing an NFL team on a gameday again.

Antonio Brown's NFL career is over -- at least, that's what legendary NFL coach Dick Vermeil thinks ... telling TMZ Sports he can't see another team giving him a shot after his wild, shirtless exit from the Buccaneers.

"I can't believe somebody would," Dick tells us. "A man demonstrates what he is by what he does and he answered everybody's evaluation questions when we saw him doing that stuff."

Of course, Vermeil is referring to AB taking his pads and jersey off and heading to the locker room -- in the middle of Sunday's game against the Jets -- after a disagreement with coach Bruce Arians.

"I have never in my 30-something years of coaching from high school, junior college, Division I and the NFL -- I have never seen anything like that," he added.

Vermeil -- who coached the Eagles, Rams, and Chiefs -- gives Tampa Bay credit for trying to help AB get his career back on track by signing him last season ... but says the controversial star was never going to change his ways.

"I think sometimes even though you're trying to do the right thing that you bring your own problems," Vermeil said.

"You create your own problems by bringing people that have been a problem," he continued, "What makes you think that you're gonna change 'em?"

Vermeil says he never would have given AB a shot to begin with ... saying, "I try to stay away with players that had problems because you have enough problems with players who don't have problems."

"To bring somebody in with a profile like he has, you only asking for problems."

Antonio Brown's bridge-burning clearly didn't end on Sunday with his departure from the Bucs -- 'cause on Friday, he took some major shots at Tom Brady that could signal the end of that relationship too.

The embattled wide receiver joined the "FULL SEND PODCAST" this week ... and it didn't take long for him to begin shading his former Tampa Bay quarterback.

Brown said he was annoyed with Brady over his "prove-it" contract with the Bucs, explaining he thinks the signal-caller should have helped him get paid like Rob Gronkowski.

"If Tom Brady's my boy, why am I playing for an earnest salary?" Brown said. "You my boy, though, right? Gronkowski is his boy, right? How much did he get paid? So, why is AB on a prove-it deal? Who's better than me over there? Let's be real!"

Brown also chided the Full Send guys -- and other members of the media -- for constantly praising Brady ... saying, "Brady can't do s*** by himself."

"But, you guys going to make it seem like he's just this heroic guy," Brown added. "Bro, we all humans. Bro, we're all dependent on somebody else to do the job."

Brown then railed against the QB over his targets in Tampa ... pointing out that Ben Roethlisberger threw him the football far more than Brady ever did.

"Does Tom Brady throw me the ball like Ben Roethlisberger?" Brown said. "Let's be honest."

Brown had claimed over the past few years that he and Brady had a good relationship ... with AB calling the quarterback his friend on numerous different occasions.

Antonio Brown was quite the crowd-pleaser before his last game in a Buccaneers uniform ... smiling from ear to ear, taking selfies and even signing a fan's COVID-19 vaccine card!!

TMZ Sports is told ... AB was in the best of moods while chatting it up with fans in the front row at MetLife Stadium hours before his infamous shirtless exit from Sunday's game.

As one fan put it, "He was the most down-to-earth guy and couldn't have been nicer."

But while some spectators sought regular autographs, one fan went one step further and asked AB to sign his freakin' vax card -- and he obliged!!

Of course, the whole thing was a reference to AB's vax status scandal ... when his former chef accused him of getting a fake vax card. While AB swore up and down he was, in fact, vaccinated ... the NFL felt otherwise and handed him a 3-game suspension.

AB was clearly able to laugh it all off as the fan asked him to sign the card ... grinning and embracing the irony as he etched his John Hancock along the bottom.

On top of that, AB posed for pics with fans before the game ... and we're told he was generous to the entire section.

Unfortunately, things changed later on in the day ... as AB made his infamous exit by ripping his pads and jersey off and strolling into the locker room in the middle of the game.

The Bucs and AB have different stories behind what went down ... but he was ultimately released Thursday morning.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have formally released Antonio Brown ... and in announcing the news, the team called its former star a liar.

The Bucs said in a statement after officially cutting the wideout that he never indicated to their medical personnel that his ankle was too hurt to play in Sunday's game against the Jets.

Brown, of course, said the opposite in a lengthy statement Wednesday night ... claiming he did tell the team he was too injured -- and that head coach Bruce Arians still wanted him in the game nonetheless.

"While Antonio did receive treatment on his ankle and was listed on the injury report the week leading up to last Sunday's game, he was cleared to play by our medical team prior to the start of the game," the Bucs said Thursday.

"And at no point during the game did he indicate to our medical personnel that he could not play."

The Bucs went on to say that they've asked Antonio several times this week to be evaluated by "an outside orthopedic specialist" ... but say Antonio "has not complied."

"Maintaining the health and wellness of our players is of the utmost importance to our organization," the Bucs said.

As we previously reported, Brown melted down on the sidelines of the Bucs' game against the Jets at MetLife Stadium, stripping off his pads and shirt before running into the locker room.

After the blowup, Arians suggested that Brown had quit on the team ... telling Jay Glazer that he tried to get the wideout to go into the game multiple times, but AB refused and then left.

Brown, though, said Wednesday that's not the way things went down ... writing in a statement, "I took a seat on the sideline and my coach came up to me, very upset, and shouted, 'What's wrong with you? What's wrong with you?' I told him, 'It's my ankle.' But he knew that."

"He didn't call for medical attention," Brown added. "Instead, he shouted at me, 'YOU'RE DONE!' while he ran his finger across his throat. Coach was telling me that if I didn't play hurt, then I was done with the Bucs."

Arians previously said this week that Brown did not indicate to him at the time that he was hurt.

"I didn't quit," Brown insisted in his statement. "I was cut. I didn't walk away from my brothers. I was thrown out."

Brown says on Monday he saw a specialist, who told him that his ankle injury was so bad, it'll require season-ending surgery.

"What they did know until now is that on Monday morning I had an urgent MRI on my ankle," Brown said. "It shows broken fragments stuck in my ankle, the ligament torn from the bone, and cartilage loss, which are beyond painful. You can see the bone bulging from the outside."

Brown is now a free agent ... and he said Wednesday night he has no plans to retire.

"Once my surgery is complete, I'll be back to 100% and looking forward to next season. Business gonna be BOOMIN!"

Antonio Brown is finally addressing the bizarre incident that ended his Bucs career ... claiming the team gave him a "powerful and sometimes dangerous painkiller" and forced him to play despite knowing he had a serious ankle injury -- all leading to the moment he says head coach Bruce Arians told him "you're done!"

That's when 33-year-old AB says he removed his jersey and pads ... and walked off the Met Life football field.

"Because of my commitment to the game, I relented to pressure directly from my coach to play injured. Despite the pain, I suited up, the staff injected me with what I now know was a powerful and sometimes dangerous painkiller that the NFLPA has warned against using, and I gave it my all for the team," Brown said in a statement released by his attorney.

The 7x Pro Bowler continued, saying he balled until the pain got to a point where he could no longer endure it.

"I played until it was clear that I could not use my ankle to safely perform my playing responsibilities. On top of that, the pain was extreme. I took a seat on the sideline and my coach came up to me, very upset, and shouted, 'What's wrong with you? What's wrong with you?' I told him, 'It's my ankle.' But he knew that."

Unfortunately for AB, he says Arians didn't care, and demanded he go back in the game.

Brown says he responded ... '"Coach, I can't.' He didn't call for medical attention. Instead, he shouted at me, "YOU'RE DONE!" while he ran his finger across his throat. Coach was telling me that if I didn't play hurt, then I was done with the Bucs."

Bottom line, Brown says ... "I didn't quit. I was cut. I didn't walk away from my brothers. I was thrown out."

As for the Bucs, Arians claimed he never discussed an ankle injury with Antonio.

Clearly, AB and the team have two different views as to what transpired on the field ... in what was one of the strangest and surreal moments in NFL history.

If you missed the incident ... the defending Super Bowl champion Buccaneers were trailing the lowly NY Jets in New Jersey Sunday afternoon.

Brown -- who'd caught 3 balls for 26 yards -- was seen engaged in a very animated conversation on the sideline with star WR Mike Evans.

Then, AB, standing only feet from his teammates, removed his jersey, pads, and t-shirt until he was bare-chested. Brown threw his shirt into the stands ... and ultimately walked through the tunnel into the locker room.

Antonio was seen calling an Uber from the front of the stadium in East Rutherford, NJ ... before taking a car to NYC.

While in Manhattan, Brown says he saw several top doctors ... and was diagnosed with a significant ankle injury.

“What they did know until now is that on Monday morning I had an urgent MRI on my ankle. It shows broken fragments stuck in my ankle, the ligament torn from the bone, and cartilage loss, which are beyond painful. You can see the bone bulging from the outside.”

Antonio says the damage can be fixed ... but will require surgery, which he intends to have done.

As for his football future ... #81 says he plans to play again next year.

“Once my surgery is complete, I’ll be back to 100% and looking forward to next season. Business gonna be BOOMIN!"

Question is ... will there be any takers?

Antonio Brown clearly isn't trying to keep a low profile following his breakup with the Bucs ... 'cause just 1 day after his shirtless meltdown at MetLife Stadium, he got front-row tickets to the Nets game.

Broadcast cameras caught the troubled wideout sitting courtside at Barclays Center for Monday's Nets vs. Grizzlies tilt ... and the dude didn't look torn up at all despite losing his job roughly 24 hours earlier.

Brown was rockin' a COVID mask, tracksuit and sunglasses ... and was seen chatting it up with people around his seat as if nothing had happened with him the day before in the Jets vs. Buccaneers game.

Brown Instagrammed from his chair while at the game -- writing in a selfie video, "It's a new day hit up KD [Kevin Durant]" -- and he was even later spotted at dinner in NYC smiling and in good spirits.

Of course, the images aren't too surprising -- Brown has stayed in the public eye just about every minute since Tampa Bay kicked him off the team for quitting mid-game Sunday.

Brown has posted on social media constantly, dropped a rap song, and cruised around the streets of NY with celeb driver Danny Chalet.

AB out ... TO in?

Terrell Owens is hoping that's the case now in Tampa Bay ... saying this week that after Antonio Brown got the boot from the Buccaneers on Sunday, he wants to step in and fill the void on the team's roster.

TO made the announcement on "Getcha Popcorn Ready with T.O. and Hatch" -- which airs every Sunday at 8 p.m. on Fubo Sports Network -- saying he truly believes he can fill in for Brown during Tampa's playoff run.

"If you think about where they are in the season, they don't need me for a 16-game season," Owens said. "Three to four games at the max."

"So, yes, I feel like I can go in, I can contribute at a high level and can be productive."

Owens hasn't played a snap in the NFL since the 2010 season ... but the 48-year-old Hall of Famer has routinely said he's kept himself in good enough shape to make a comeback.

And, Owens says if he gets a shot with Tampa -- he's sure he can prove his critics wrong.

"I know that I can do it," TO said.

As for if the Bucs will actually call ... they do need wide receiver help and are reportedly eyeing some free agents in the wake of Brown's departure from the team Sunday.

Antonio Brown took a break from his nasty Buccaneers breakup to send a thoughtful message to his former nemesis on Monday ... wishing Ben Roethlisberger the best before what might be his last home game as a Pittsburgh Steeler.

AB hasn't always shown love for Big Ben -- remember, the receiver called his former teammate a "loser" during a Twitter rant in 2019 ... and made other negative comments after leaving the Steelers in 2018.

But as Ben hints that Monday's matchup against the Cleveland Browns could be the last time he dons the Black and Gold at Heinz Field, AB had nothing but kind words for #7 ... claiming he doesn't think the 2-time Super Bowl champ will retire after the season.

“I know Ben. He’s a competitor," AB said in a Cameo for a Steelers fan. "He loves to play football. One of the greatest quarterbacks, all-time. And I just don’t see him hanging it up."

"Big Ben has a lot of football left, and he didn’t say that his career was over," Brown added.

“So let’s be positive. Let’s cheer him on. Let’s wish for one of his best games tonight. And let’s keep business boomin’."

Things weren't always bad between the two -- AB and Big Ben were one of the most successful duos in the league before Brown left the team in 2018.

Now, as AB finds himself in another bad breakup following his bizarre, shirtless departure from the Bucs vs. New York Jets game on Sunday, it appears he's extending an olive branch to his old teammate.

A New York Jets rookie was so fired up to have competed against Tom Brady -- he straight up asked the GOAT for his autograph on the field ... despite losing the game in heartbreaking fashion just minutes prior.

Cameras caught the interesting interaction following Sunday's Bucs vs. Jets game at MetLife Stadium ... showing Jets corner Brandin Echols asking for Brady's John Hancock even though the QB had just beaten his team.

In the footage, you can see Echols handed Brady a ball ... gave him a hug -- and then dapped him up after Tom signed the pigskin.

Of course, the ball no doubt carries a special meaning for Echols -- it was reportedly the same football the 24-year-old had intercepted off Brady earlier in the day.

Still, Jets fans weren't exactly pleased to see the autograph-seeking go down ... considering Brady had just ripped their team's heart out.

Tom successfully led Tampa Bay from down 24-10 to a 28-24 win ... and seems NY fans would have preferred Echols to seek out the signature at a later date.

But, let's be real -- even if they pulled out a win, the 4-12 Jets' season is still over regardless ... so, lighten up.