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Antonio Brown is having one hell of a 2022. Every day it seems there’s a new headline.
In a string of high-profile interviews, AB has addressed his controversial exit from football and so much more.
For years media outlets have speculated that Brown suffers from CTE in particular because of this hit to the head. Yet in last night’s Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel, Brown and his lawyer squashed all talk of potential mental health issues.
Bryant Gumbel delicately asked AB about his mental health, to which AB and lawyer responded with an accusation that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers dubiously attempted to have him psychiatrically treated. Brown wasn’t having it.
According to AB, the Buccaneers Organization planned on paying him $200,000 to “go to the crazy house” and warned him “not to spin it any other way.” His lawyer, Sean Burstyn, verified this and stated they have it in writing as well.
This accusation has not yet been responded to by the Bucs.
CTE, for many ex-NFL’ers, is the only justification for AB’s seemingly self-destructive actions and recurring ill-timed logic. Yet Brown believes the Bucs were attempting to smear him while simultaneously making themselves appear caring and responsible for his wellbeing.
Is Antonio Brown worth the headache?
AB’s résumé is Hall of Fame. Full Stop.
But much like Terrel Owens -who AB makes look like Larry Fitzgerald – his football life will be judged in large part because of who he is, not what he did.
When Keeping It Real Goes Wrong
Antonio Brown, for all his faults, is indeed himself.
He hasn’t changed with the times, he doesn’t speak like the rest of the majority of generic NFL players. And perhaps at the next destination, his language will be understood.
Because of his undeniable skill, teams have routinely overlooked the many red flags left behind at each organization Brown has jaggedly exited. Recently when AB was asked which quarterback he sees himself playing with next, answered only one name – Lamar Jackson.
As a current free agent, Brown and Ravens QB Lamar Jackson have recently flirted with the idea of playing together. Both from South Florida, they speak the same language in the same cadence. They may even share a similar worldview in some respects and Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, AB’s cousin, already plays with Jackson.
However, if this does come into fruition for the 2022-23 NFL Season, it will be Brown’s fifth team in five years. That’s a lot of moving trucks. In a league that values winning more than anything, no one should be surprised if Brown lands in Baltimore. And we also shouldn’t be surprised if it ends in a ball of flames.