Antonio Brown has been released by the Oakland Raiders a day after he was fined for an outburst at general manager Mike Mayock.
Brown posted on his Instagram account on Saturday morning saying he's not "mad" but wants the "freedom to prove" his sceptics wrong, with the post ending with a request to be released.
Just hours later, the Oakland Raiders' official Twitter account posted: "The Raiders have released WR Antonio Brown from the team today."
The wide receiver was fined $215k (£175k) "for conduct detrimental to the team" after a confrontation with Mayock in practice earlier this week.
Reports in the US claim the Raiders do not have to pay Brown a termination fee after releasing him, while other say he has not received any money since signing from the Pittsburgh Steelers in March for a third and fifth-round draft pick.
Drama has surrounded Brown since his arrival at the Raiders, from missing practice due to frostbite to refusing to wear an NFL-mandated helmet.
Spotrac, who track players' salaries and bonuses, say Brown missed out on a $500k bonus for not attending 85 per cent of the Raiders' offseason program.
Brown previously sent an email to ESPN stating: "No way I play after they took that and made my contract week to week."
He also posted a video on YouTube that included audio of a phone conversation with coach Jon Gruden from an unspecified date, in which Gruden asks Brown whether he wants to be a Raider.
Brown replied he does and questions if the Raiders want him, with Gruden then urging Brown to stop all the theatrics, saying: "Just play football. How hard is that? You're a great football player. Just play football."
The video ends with Brown saying: "I'm more than just a football player, man. I'm a real person. It ain't about the football. I know I can do that. I show you guys that on the daily. This is my life. Ain't no more games."