Cleveland Browns release veteran DB, former Alabama star Tony Brown

The Cleveland Browns have begun making cuts to get down to its 53-player roster limit on Sunday, and former Alabama defensive back Tony Brown is among the first to receive his pink slip. The Browns have formally released Brown, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Brown will now have to clear waivers before he can sign with another team. The Browns were Brown’s sixth NFL organization since going undrafted out of Alabama in the 2018 NFL Draft, having played for the Packers, Bengals, and Colts, while also appearing on practice squads for both the Chargers and Raiders.

Brown re-signed with the Browns in March after appearing in six games for Cleveland in the 2024 season, finidhing with five combined tackles and one forced fumble. Brown played 18 combined games for the Indianapolis Colts between 2022-23, combining on 17 total tackles with one interception and one forced fumble. For his NFL career, Brown has 80 total tackles in 67 career games across six seasons.

Shirtless Tony Brown walks around with wooden sickle before Browns-Panthers preseason game

Now-former Browns cornerback Tony Brown introduced a new pregame accessory ahead of Cleveland’s preseason game against the Carolina Panthers on Aug. 8. Brown turned heads when he walked onto the field barefoot while holding what appeared to be scythe — a staff with a curved blade at the end.

Brown didn’t reveal the significance of the odd instrument, but carried on as usual ahead of the Browns’ preseason opener. It’s not the first time that Brown’s antics have raised eyebrows. In fact, his shirtless warmups and always-entertaining postgame interviews have earned him the nickname, “Crazy Tony.”

Brown developed his wild reputation far before stepping on an NFL field. Brown was suspended for the first four games of his junior season at Alabama for an undisclosed violation. At the time, head coach Nick Saban addressed Brown’s behavior.

“Right now, Tony has to work on developing trust in his teammates and the coaches,” Saban said. “He certainly has the ability to play. He’s been an outstanding special teams player for us so I think that’s the first thing you’ll see.”

Stories about Brown’s behavior only grew after he appeared to hit an Auburn fan following Alabama’s loss to the Tigers in the 2016 Iron Bowl. Punishments have also been leveled on Brown at the professional level.

In the 2023 campaign, when Brown was on the Indianapolis Colts, he was suspended for the final three games of the regular season for “conduct detrimental to the team.” The exact nature of this conduct was never publicly revealed, but he was waived by the Colts after the season.

— On3’s Grant Grubbs contributed to this report.