Getty Antonio Brown reacts to a play in a game against the New York Jets.
Call Terrell Owens, but don’t call him a diva — and definitely don’t compare him to Antonio Brown.
The former Buffalo Bills quarterback lashed out on Sunday after a Twitter post asked commenters to determine whether Owens or Brown was the bigger diva during their respective careers. The post came shortly after Brown’s outburst that saw him tearing off his jersey and pads and leaving the field during a Tampa Bay Buccaneers game, leading to his swift release from the team.
The latest Bills news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Bills newsletter here!
Owens Doesn’t See Comparison
Owens shared the post asking whether he was a bigger diva than Brown, the now-former Buccaneers receiver who found trouble at every step of his career, and seemed insulted at the comparison.
‘”Wow,” Owens replied. “Respectfully and Disrespectfully, there’s no comparison. Clearly you’ve been drinking the kool-aid.”
Commenters seemed to agree with Owens, with some pointing out that at no point in his career did T.O. quit on his teammates the way Brown did on Sunday and even played through a broken leg in the Super Bowl.
Tampa coach Bruce Arians immediately said Brown was no longer part of the team after his outburst on Sunday.
“He is no longer a Buc,” Arians said after the team’s 28-24 win over the New York Jets, via ESPN. “That’s the end of the story. Let’s talk about the guys that went out there and won the game.”
When asked for more details on what led to Brown’s departure, Arians said, “I’m not talking about him. He’s no longer part of the Bucs.”
Owens Remains a Beloved Bills Receiver
While Owens may have never had an incident as explosive as Brown’s meltdown and departure from the Buccaneers, he did find plenty of drama during his own career. The San Francisco 49ers suspended Owens for a game and fined him a game check worth $24,294 after he celebrated on the star at midfield against the Dallas Cowboys.
Owens later joined the Cowboys, but was released in part to improve locker room morale. ESPN reported at the time that Dallas owner Jerry Jones was “following the advice of many, many people” in cutting ties with Owens.
But Owens had no issues during his one season with the Bills, and remains widely popular with fans. The Bills even brought him back to Highmark Stadium this season to serve as the “Legend of the Game.”
Owens said in an interview with The Athletic in 2020 that he wished he could have stayed beyond his one season in 2009, when quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick first took the reins as starter. Owens said he could have done well if he had a full season with Fitzpatrick as his signal-caller.
“Honestly, I wish I could have played another year or two (in Buffalo),” Owens said. “If you look at my stats, they weren’t particularly good in the beginning of the season, but once I got with Ryan Fitzpatrick it was like ‘Fitz Magic.’”
“I’ve spoken very highly of Ryan. People ask me who is your favorite quarterback and people think I’m saying it was a joke but I’m like, ‘Yo, Ryan is one of the better quarterbacks that I played with.’ I say that honestly because of how smart he is. Maybe it has something to do with that Harvard education,” Owens added.
READ NEXT: Analyst Predicts Monstrous Year for Bills’ Josh Allen, Makes New Prediction