Getty Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown tweeted about his wrongdoings as a player in the NFL.
A holiday can be a great time for some self-reflection. That may have been the case for former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown.
Over the Passover/Easter/Ramadan weekend, Brown wrote a post on Twitter that appeared to admit to one of his biggest faults as an NFL player.
“As an owner I finally see now why it’s important to make everyone know no one is bigger then the Team,” Brown wrote. “As a player I always though opposite!”
As a owner I finally see now why it’s important to make everyone know no one is bigger then the Team ‘! As a player I always thought opposite !
Clearly, Brown’s revelation has more to do with him switching sides in the football business than the holiday weekend. But this tweet still comes as a surprise given Brown’s past.
As surprising as it may be, though, Steelers fans who saw Brown’s post on Twitter weren’t exactly buying it.
@AB84 Ironic coming from you
@AB84 IDK how Tomlin controlled you for so long
@AB84 Call Brady and apologize then
Former Steelers WR Antonio Brown Admits to Selfishness
Steelers and NFL fans can pick a variety of moments from Brown’s career when he put himself ahead of his team.
Brown really started to become an issue as early as 2017. During a Week 4 matchup with the Baltimore Ravens, he tossed a gatorade barrel along the sideline because Ben Roethlisberger didn’t see him wide open down the middle of the field.
That incident happened about eight and a half months after Brown’s infamous Facebook Live video in the locker room. Brown was promoting himself on social media instead of listening to coach Mike Tomlin, who was caught on the video using NSFW language when discussing the team’s next playoff opponent — the New England Patriots.
As the 2017 and 2018 seasons progressed, Brown expressed more selfish behavior reportedly because of the emergence of fellow receiver Juju Smith-Schuster. During his second year, Smith-Schuster won the Steelers team MVP in 2018, which resulted in Brown reportedly throwing a football at Roethlisberger during practice ahead of Week 17 — a must-win game for the Steelers to make the playoffs.
The Steelers made Brown inactive for the matchup and traded the receiver that offseason.
With the Las Vegas Raiders, Brown’s selfish behavior continued, as he had controversies with everything from his helmet to a cryotherapy machine.
ESPN’s Josina Anderson reported that Brown called then Raiders general manager Mike Mayock a “cracker.” The Raiders fined Brown for his conduct.
Brown didn’t play a game for the Raiders, as the team released him before the start of the season. Brown signed with the Patriots, but played just one game. New England released him after a lawsuit alleged Brown sexually assaulted his former trainer, Britney Taylor, three times in 2017 and 2018.
The former NFL receiver didn’t express contrition for any of those incidents or controversies in his revelation tweet. But to be fair to Brown, Twitter does have a character limit.
Brown Part Owner of Arena Football League Team
Despite that laundry list of issues, Brown did return to the NFL in 2020 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and helped the organization with the Super Bowl.
While Brown was apparently a good citizen with Tampa Bay in 2020, things changed a year later. During Week 17 of the 2021 season, Brown left the field in a tirade that saw him strip off his uniform in the end zone before he ran into the locker room.
@AB84 We’re well aware.
Brown is still only 34 but hasn’t played since that incident. His career is likely over, evidenced by the fact he now partially owns an Arena League team — the Albany Empire.
Given his past, it’s not shocking most NFL followers weren’t supportive of Brown’s latest tweet. But it was also clear on social media that Brown still has of fans.
@AB84 I definitely loved the old 84. legendary.
@AB84 That’s called growth, young man. Stay focused and keep growing.