Antonio Brown’s legacy, and life, once a shining beacon of hope for those from disadvantaged backgrounds descended into chaos; A sad sight for many NFL fans.
Brown, once assured of a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame — his resume undoubtedly warrants it — now sits on the NFL sidelines. On Thursday, his Albany Empire organization – was unfairly dumped from another football league, the AFL, for refusing to pay the required franchise fee.
The 34-year-old, who seems to have escaped from a turbulent upbringing to a place of self and financial prosperity, has been making headlines for her erratic behavior since the late 2010s.
At one point, it was tolerated because of his all-time talent, but eventually Brown’s behavior became too much to overcome even his own excellence on the field. During and following his NFL career, he faced allegations of sexual harassment, domestic violence, public indecency, and mistreatment of staff.
Brown is now mostly remembered and written about for his unsolicited antics as opposed to the talent he displayed virtually every Sunday for nearly a decade. Mail Sport discusses the Antonio Brown controversy and how he arrived at his latest moment of humiliation.
Antonio Brown was once a certain Pro Football Hall of Famer, now his reputation is tarnished in the minds of many who resent his off-field behavior during and since his NFL career.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Brown arrived in Pittsburgh as a sixth-round pick in the 2010 draft after an underwhelming college career at Central Michigan.
In the Steel City, the Miami native became a historically great wide receiver – one of the greatest in human history.
All seemed positive in Pittsburgh until a famous, sickening hit by Cincinnati linebacker Vontaze Burfict in a 2015 AFC Wild Card game. At this point, Brown has not caused controversy with the Steelers.
The following season, he live streamed a postgame speech by coach Mike Tomlin in which he called out the Patriots before the AFC Championship Game.
In 2018, Brown began to be a distraction. He allegedly threw furniture from his 14th-floor Miami condo — for which he was later blamed for the damage — missing a 22-month-old baby who was wandering on the patio below.
He also started an altercation with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and skipped practice before a Week 17 game against the Bengals, which proved to be a catalyst for his later approved trade to Las Vegas in March 2019.
Antonio Brown was a revelation on the gridiron for Pittsburgh, becoming one of the top WRs in the National Football League after being drafted out of Central Michigan in the sixth round.
Brown was never caught on video, but he allegedly threw furniture from his 14th-floor condo in Miami in 2018 — missing only a 22-month-old child, who was crawling below.
Oakland Raiders
Controversies intensified and multiplied in 2019 as Brown’s reputation within and outside the league began to slowly erode.
In August, Brown suffered frostbite on her feet after failing to wear the proper footwear during cryotherapy treatment. Soon after, Brown missed a portion of practice due to an issue with the NFL’s helmet policy, among other reasons, and was subsequently fined $54,000.
Multiple reports said Brown also called GM Mike Mayock a ‘cracker’ and threatened to punch him during an altercation in September before the Raiders’ season-opener. He was released after two days. Before the Raiders cut him, he posted a video in which he insisted on getting his NFL freedom, airing a conversation with then-coach Jon Gruden.
Brown was released, losing $30 million in guaranteed money after signing a three-year, $50.1 million contract with the Oakland franchise.
The Miami native never played a snap for the then-Oakland Raiders and lost $30 million guaranteed.
Brown’s foot was cracked due to not wearing the required footwear during the cryo treatment
New England Patriots
Brown signed with the world champion Patriots in what appeared to be a classic Patriots turnaround story, but it proved to be a blowout despite Miami’s bright start.
Three days after signing with the team – on September 10, 2019 – as a free agent, Brown was sued by his former coach, Brittany Taylor, who claimed she was raped by the receiver.
He played five days later in a 43–0 win vs. Miami, catching a touchdown. After a woman accused him of sexual harassment on Sept. 15, the Patriots released Brown shortly after on Sept. 20 — having played just one game with the franchise. He settled with Taylor in April 2021.
The Pats released Brown just eight days after signing him on September 7, 2019, amid allegations of sexual assault and rape. Brown scored a TD in his only game for the team
Brittney Taylor came forward in September 2019 to accuse Brown of sexual assault and rape.
Free agency
In late September 2019, Brown said he was retiring — only to change his mind four days later. He was suspended for the first eight weeks of the 2020 season for violating the league’s personal conduct policy in July.
While on the market, Brown was involved in a domestic incident calling for a police presence at her Hollywood home.
Brown was charged with theft of a vehicle, misdemeanor criminal mischief and misdemeanor battery in January 2020 after he was accused of threatening and throwing rocks at a moving company truck driver after he refused to pay for a delivery.
Wideout ultimately entered a no contest plea, received a two-year probation, 100 hours of community service and anger-management counseling.
Brown was pushed onto the free agent market despite his immediate connection to Tom Brady
He faces charges of theft with battery (a felony), theft of an unused vehicle and criminal mischief after he was accused of throwing a rock at a truck driver in 2020.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Despite opposition off the field, Brown signed a one-year contract with Tampa Bay on October 24, 2020, in part because of the endorsement from quarterback Tom Brady.
After serving his league suspension, he proved to be a valuable contributor for the NFC South franchise as it made an unlikely run to the Super Bowl, which they would eventually win against Kansas City at Raymond James Stadium.
Brown returned to the Bucs for the 2021 season, signing a one-year, $6.25m deal. In December, the league suspended him three games for misrepresenting his vaccination status.
With the 11-4 Bucs poised for another tilt at the postseason, Brown was incredibly fired from the team midgame in Week 17 vs. the Jets at MetLife Stadium. The emotional receiver took off his jersey, shoulder pads, shirt and gloves as he ran to cheers from the crowd while the Bucs were on offense.
A day before his official release, Brown accused head coach Bruce Arians and the team of forcing him to play on an injured ankle. He was cut by the organization on January 6, 2022.
In his first season with the Buccaneers, Brown claimed his first and only Super Bowl title
Brown gave Jets fans a peace sign as he left midgame in his final NFL game
Through his attorney, Brown released a statement explaining his departure from the Jets game
Post-NFL Career
It saw Brown’s midgame exit at the Meadowlands, his career over.
While his premature departure from East Rutherford may have been the final straw, the 34-year-old’s list of indiscretions continues to grow. While on holiday in Dubai, Armani was filmed flashing her bare buttocks and penis while at the hotel pool. The incident, while reported on October 1, 2022, is said to have happened a few months earlier in May.
Afterward, he tweeted ‘I’m telling every team that needs some offense to pick AB BC he’s shown he still has the ability to expose D.’
An arrest warrant was issued for Brown on domestic violence charges after he allegedly threw a shoe at his ex-fiancé in November during an argument. This year has hardly been good for Brown, who has frequently insulted former friend and teammate Tom Brady and his ex-wife Gisele Bundchen.
Another arrest warrant was issued for the former Steeler in April after he failed to make child support payments — which he resolved after paying his attorney more than $30,000.
Brown has photoshopped photos of him and Gisele Bundchen, hugging the ex-wife of his former teammate, Tom Brady, in Tampa Bay. It’s one of many barbs he throws Brady’s way
Brown shared a video of a woman performing oral sex in January — though, he said, his Snapchat was hacked — and, more recently, was asked to leave the Holiday Inn Express in Albany, according to the Times Union, after complaining about the smell of marijuana and loud music.
The Albany Empire franchise has descended into disarray under its majority control — despite only being in charge for two months. He fired multiple head coaches and let go of its two starting quarterbacks. The Times Union also reported that payments to players and coaches had been missed.
While Brown likely has no future in the league, he has captivated social media users with a comeback post — this comes despite retiring on March 2. On April 28 – the second day of the NFL Draft – Brown tweeted a superimposed photo of himself in a Baltimore Ravens uniform, with the caption ‘Excited to be back in the NFL this year.’
The wideout-turned-rapper seems unlikely to be on the gridiron anytime soon. Although, there is an equally minimal chance, ‘AB’ is completely off the grid.
Brown joked about an NFL return last month, posting a photoshopped photo in a Ravens uniform.
Brown’s Albany Empire organization was unexpectedly dumped from the AFL this week
Read Full News Here