Getty Antonio Brown, former Buccaneers WR
Sometimes it seems that former Buccaneers wide receiver Antonio Brown is just trolling us all. Perhaps that’s why the seven-time Pro Bowler was on Twitter/X the other day wondering—sarcastically, we think—about how an Antonio Brown retirement should go, and whether the Bucs should be involved.
Brown, of course, wrapped up his legendary two seasons in Tampa Bay by removing his jersey during a Week 17 game against the Jets and walking off the field, prompting the Buccaneers to release him before the playoff got underway. Brown had been productive the previous season in Tampa’s Super Bowl run, catching 45 passes for 483 yards in eight games.
He caught a touchdown from quarterback Tom Brady in the Buccaneers’ Super Bowl win over the Chiefs. But the awkward ending to his time with the Buccaneers remains what stands out about his brief tenure with the team. It’s also the last time he has been on an NFL field, though he has not officially retired.
And that’s what was on Brown’s mind this week when he wrote on Twitter/X on Wednesday: “Should I retire a Steeler or Tampon (Tampa) Bay Buc F*** …….?!!”
Should I retire a Steeler or Tampon Bay Buc Fuc …….?!!
Antonio Brown Retirement Question Spurred by Jackson?
Surely, the question about an Antonio Brown retirement is a sort of response to the retirement news of former Eagles and Buccaneers star DeSean Jackson, who announced this week that he will retire as an Eagle, a mostly ceremonial gesture in which he will sign with the team for a day and make an appearance at Lincoln Financial Field before Philadelphia’s game against the 49ers on Sunday.
There’s little doubt that, though his tenure in Pittsburgh had its ups and downs, the erratic Brown is a Steeler through and through. He played for Pittsburgh for nine years and 837 of his 928 career catches were in Steelers black.
Weeks after leaving the Buccaneers mid-game, Brown claimed that he left because he was fighting through an ankle injury and could not take the pain anymore. He claimed coach Bruce Arians told him, “’Yo, get the f*** outta here, You [are] done,” which prompted the bizarre exit.
Arians denied that account, and said that it was not the injury that prompted Brown’s angry exit but, rather, something else entirely. “It was very hard,” Arians said. “I wish him well. I hope if he needs help, gets some. It’s very hard because I do care about him.”
AB Comeback Rumors Have Been Worn Out
The fact that an Antonio Brown retirement is on the table at all is impressive enough. It’s something he has resisted making official, instead repeatedly teasing the possibility of a comeback that has never actually materialized.
Now, at age 35, it is safe to say that comeback is not happening. Not only is Brown old, but he has been riddled with legal issues in recent months, the most recent coming when he was arrested for failure to pay child support in October.
Excited to return to the NFL this year
#RavensFlock
Back in April, though, Brown posted a photoshopped picture of himself in a Ravens jersey with the caption, “Excited to return to the NFL this year,” and his agent claimed there was “genuine interest” from teams in signing Brown.
“He is exploring the right fit,” the agent, Jason Rickert said, per CBS Sports.
Alas, there was no fit and there was no interest. An Antonio Brown retirement is the only endgame here. Just a matter of where.