Former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown hasn’t appeared in an NFL game since Week 2 of last season and there’s a chance his time in the league could be done forever.
At 31-years-old, Antonio Brown has already accomplished enough in his NFL career that should ultimately result in an induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Ever since his departure from the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2019, however, Brown’s legacy on the field has been tainted by his actions off of the field.
The talented wide receiver was looking to get a fresh start as a member of the Oakland Raiders last year. But that relationship ended before the regular season was able to even begin.
Then Brown was picked up by the New England Patriots and he even managed to haul in four passes for 56 yards and a touchdown in the team’s Week 2 win over the Miami Dolphins. But a few days later, the Patriots released him after news came about regarding some disturbing text messages the receiver sent to a woman accusing him of sexual misconduct.
Since then, Brown has remained in the headlines. But not for anything good.
During the past few months, Brown has attempted to be a rapper, he’s been let go by his agent Drew Rosenhaus, and he’s been arrested for allegedly assaulting a moving truck employee.
Despite all of this, there has still been plenty of chatter about a potential return to the NFL for the veteran receiver. Brown might run into a problem, however, since no one seems to be interested in signing him and taking on all of the off-the-field baggage that comes along.
Multiple teams have publicly commented on their lack of desire to add the receiver to their roster including the Raiders, Steelers, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It’s very possible Brown’s career in the league could already be over.
No one has ever questioned his talent level and he hasn’t really shown any signs of a decline in his performance on the field during his last few seasons. But for teams around the NFL, his skills don’t seem to be convincing enough for them to overlook his constant off-the-field distractions.
It’s extremely telling when someone like Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin has zero interest in adding Brown back onto his team’s roster. Tomlin dealt with the receiver during his entire tenure with the Steelers and he would know better than most if Brown’s talent on the field is worth the trouble he could cause off of it.
There will likely be other teams rumored to have interest in signing the receiver this offseason. But until Brown is actually back on a field in an NFL uniform and a helmet he’s comfortable wearing, just assume his time as a professional football player has already come to a close.