By now you're well aware of the historic and rather unprecedented Antonio Brown debacle that occurred on Sunday in New York. After a sideline spat with both coaches and players, Brown decided to strip off his uniform in the middle of the third quarter while storming off the field shirtless. Reports indicate that Brown had a disagreement with head coach Bruce Arians over his health and availability to re-enter the contest and proceeded to respond to their discord by quitting on his team mid-game. Following the embarrassing catastrophe, Arians was quick to confirm that Brown was no longer a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in his postgame presser. So why exactly haven't the Buccaneers officially released Brown yet? Per a Josina Anderson report, a free-agent Brown would garner interest from fellow postseason competitors. Releasing Brown only to allow him to end up in say Green Bay or Los Angeles would qualify as a natural disaster for general manager Jason Licht and Co. Winning the Super Bowl is an extremely difficult goal to achieve. Is adding Brown to the fray potentially worth the locker room distraction that comes with him if he improves your chances of capturing football's ultimate prize? The answer is a resounding NO, although we have little reason to doubt Anderson's report and it partially explains why the Buccaneers have yet to officially release him. To trust Brown as a member of your franchise at this point would be an exercise in foolishness. This is a human being with a history of disturbing issues that includes the consistent disrespect of his teammates, concerning behavior that includes felony burglary charges with battery and two misdemeanors, and a plethora of other conduct-related issues. NFL teams however aren't afraid of gambling on a player that possesses Brown's type of talent. To witness Brown donning another uniform in time for the playoffs isn't such a far-fetched thought. After all, the Buccaneers welcomed him back into their tight-knit locker room following a three-game suspension for misrepresenting his vaccination status. It differs from Brown's latest controversy but serves as a stark reminder as to what franchises are willing to put up with when it comes to high-level players. The saga is far from reaching its conclusion. The Buccaneers will attempt to navigate their way through the latest Brown-related mess in a manner that best protects their franchise. According to multiple reports, the Buccaneers are having ongoing discussions with the league regarding procedural steps and which designation the team may be empowered to use on Brown's release, and whether or not that may include reason for player-personnel purposes. In short, the Buccaneers are searching for a manner in which releasing Brown further protects them financially while hoping it would prevent him from landing with another team immediately. NFL teams do dumb things in pursuit of greatness. Attempts to separate yourself from the pack may lead to one stooping in desperate measures. Signing Brown would qualify as the most extreme example imaginable.