After Antonio Brown's on-screen meltdown against the New York Jets on Sunday, it was clear that his time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was over.

However, it took quite some time before the Bucs actually ended up releasing him. While they eventually cut bait as most everyone expected, it took them four whole days before they made it official.

According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, Tampa Bay was still trying to coordinate with Antonio Brown one last request: to get help on his mental health.

Here's what Rapoport said Friday about the Buccaneers' efforts:

“So then why did it take so long for Antonio Brown to actually be released? From what I understand, the Bucs wanted him to get help,” said Rapoport.

“They wanted him to seek mental health and therapy to better himself. He did not want to do that. Thought it was ridiculous. Just wanted to be released. Didn't want to stay caged, as he said on social media. And then yesterday, after he posted everybody's text messages, he was released.”

Antonio Brown has long been seen as an unstable figure in and around the NFL. However, his gripes against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers didn't seem so outlandish given they hinged on his own personal concerns for his health.