It has been seven years since All-Pro wide receiver Antonio Brown played for the Pittsburgh Steelers. After a legendary run in the Steel City for nine seasons (2010-2018), which included seven Pro Bowl appearances and five All-Pro nods, Brown's career started to spiral downward. In 2019, he was traded to the then-Oakland Raiders before being sent to the New England Patriots. Both teams moved off of him after he was the subject of both tension and off-the-field allegations. He finished his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with whom he won a Super Bowl in 2020. Of course, the last fans saw of Brown was when he was running off the field mid-game without his pads on his own accord.
Andrew Mills / NJ Advance Media via AP photo
Former Steelers receiver Antonio Brown walks off the field during his final game for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Brown is in the news again. This time, it is for awful reasons. According to Miami police, the 37-year-old was arrested Thursday on an attempted murder charge and extradited from Dubai to the United States. This stems from Brown's involvement in a shooting at a celebrity boxing match in Miami in May. Simply put, the former Central Michigan man has fallen off the rails ever since the end of his time in Pittsburgh. His career was Hall of Fame-worthy until the allegations started to pop up. Now, he is dealing with something even more significant. If convicted, Brown could face the rest of his life in prison.
Former NFL star Antonio Brown has been arrested on an attempted murder charge stemming from a shooting after a celebrity boxing event in Miami, via ESPN News Services.https://t.co/wew0wKnTLz
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 7, 2025
Once a beloved figure in the city of Pittsburgh, Brown has now turned himself into an unpopular figure. Time can only tell what the severity of his punishment will be down the road. His legendary legacy will be tainted for the foreseeable future because of the poor decisions that he has made in the last half-decade.
NFL.com
Former Steelers WR Antonio Brown with former QB Ben Roethlisberger.
Did Antonio Brown's Steelers Career Merit Hall Of Fame Consideration?
Due to Brown's poor decision-making that started towards the end of his career, an all-time great career has now been overshadowed by dark mistakes. While it is unlikely that he will be voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame anytime soon or at any point for that matter, was Brown on track for Canton at the end of his Steelers career? If he had retired a Steeler properly, would he have a bronze bust with his name on it waiting for him? In all likelihood, the answer is yes.
While he has plenty of All-Pro and Pro Bowl nods in his portfolio, his numbers that he posted as a Steeler were incredible. He caught 928 passes, recorded 11,207 receiving yards, and caught 74 touchdowns while teaming up with future Hall of Fame signal-caller Ben Roethlisberger. His average of 86.2 yards per game is a Steelers record (minimum four seasons played). There is no doubt that the Roethlisberger-Brown combo was, at minimum, one of the best in the league for close to a decade. While he was able to help the Steelers make the Super Bowl as a rookie, he was never able to help them get all the way over the top.
Matt Freed / Post-Gazette
Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin talks with former wide receiver Antonio Brown as the team warms up before a home game at then-Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, PA.
Simply put, when he was a superstar pass-catcher for Head Coach Mike Tomlin, he was one of the best overall players in the game. That was who he was for a long, long time. However, unfortunately for the Steelers and Brown, his decision-making cost him that legendary status. Even winning a Super Bowl later on with Tom Brady and the Bucs couldn't change the views on Brown. In fact, he was given two chances to play with Brady and could not stick it out for the long term. Now that he has been away from the field for some time and his antics have been put to a hopeful halt, perhaps his time away from the spotlight can help change his perspective on his own life.
#SteelerNation
