Tampa Bay Buccaneers' WR Admits Taking Off Jersey, Exiting Mid-Game 'Wasn't Necessary'

Tampa Bay Buccaneers' wide receiver Antonio Brown appears to be showing some regret over his shirt-stripping walk-out in last week’s game at MetLife Stadium. The 33-year-old Buccaneer who stripped his jersey and pads and walked across the field midgame has spoken to the media and admitted his outburst was unprofessional.

His abrupt and dramatic exit was reportedly a result of a major fallout with the team coach Brian Arians who officially cut ties with Brown soon as he left the game.

According to TMZ, Brown was spotted out and about in public Monday night around Los Angeles dining at Craig’s, one of the city’s trendiest restaurants. He was enjoying the evening with his famous rapper and producer buddy Kanye West.

As paparazzi attempted to get a word from Brown, the beleaguered player agreed to have a brief word to address questions on the controversy behind his shirtless episode. "It probably wasn't necessary or professional," said Brown, as he smiled and faced the media.

Seemingly, Brown had a different tone of voice and demeanor compared to his outburst during the Week 17 game against the New York Jets. Looking back at how he had stripped his jersey, threw down his gear, and did jumping jacks before waving to his fans and headed to the locker room during the third quarter, Brown may have calmed down and done some rethinking.

While the drama continues to unfold, Tampa Bucs coach Brian Arians disputed claims that Brown was let go in the middle of the game because he refused to play with an ankle injury. This came into light after a lengthy statement from Brown was previously released where he claimed he was told by Arians to play despite having an ankle injury that caused him to miss practice last week.

At this time, the NFL Players Association is drawing up plans to investigate Brown’s accusations pointing fingers at Arians and the organization covering up a number of mismanagement incidents.

Meanwhile, Brown has been shifting his focus on music. He is said to be hooking up with some of the music industry’s huge names such as Fabolous. His dinner tête-à-tête with West has the media buzzing on a rumored track collaboration with the rap legend.