The Pittsburgh Steelers made the right decision to let Mike Wallace walk in 2013. They took the contract that they offered Wallace and gave it to Antonio Brown who was coming off of a modest 66 reception season. The next six seasons would be the best the NFL had ever saw from a wide receiver. Six straight 1000 yard seasons, six straight 100+ receptions, and 59 touchdowns during that historic span. And then it came to a crashing halt in 2019.
Brown had forced his way out of Pittsburgh and was traded to the Oakland Raiders. The Raiders would send a 3rd and 5th round selection to the Steelers for Brown and he'd never play a single regular season play for them. Brown would go through two sagas in Oakland. One would involve his refusal to stop wearing a helmet that was no longer approved by the NFL. The next would be when Brown gave himself frost bite on his foot.
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown (84) stands with other receivers Eli Rogers (17) and Sammie Coates (14) during their NFL football practice, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017, in Pittsburgh. The Steelers face the New England Patriots in the AFC conference championship on Sunday. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)
After that he found his way to New England after Tom Brady recruited him to town. That marriage failed quickly and Brown only would play in 1 game for the Patriots. Eventually Brady and Brown would connect again in Tampa Bay where the two would win a Super Bowl together. But again Brown's antics likely ended his career last season. During a game against the Jets Brown famously took off his equipment and quit the team in the middle of the third quarter over a dispute about him playing through an injury.
Brown recently said in an interview that he was likely done playing in the NFL.
“Nah, don’t play yourself looking at me to play,” Brown told the Fan Controlled Football League regarding his NFL status.
On the Rich Eisen show yesterday Eisen spent some time talking about Browns career and how sad it turned out. He pointed to the fact that Brown was putting up a Hall of Fame career and doing so for the Steelers where it would be recognized.
"This is so sad. I got to tell you how sad this is," Eisen continued. "I saw that sound bite and I just thought, this is the saddest. I remember interviewing Antonio Brown back on Thursday night football. He balled out. I believe it was against the Browns years ago. May have been year one, potentially year two for him. The memory fades because it's been twelve years since the kid came off the campus of Central Michigan where he had to go to get a shot from South Florida. And this was a time when Mike Wallace, remember him? He wanted his money and the Steelers were like, 'no go to Miami'.
And they paid him [Brown] instead because he was a kid who was not only terrific but reliable and wanted to win and wanted to work his [butt] off to win. And it was obvious to everyone. Twelve seasons he's played and the first nine in Pittsburgh were Hall of Fame worthy. That's the stuff that puts you in the Hall of Fame. You do it for the Pittsburgh Steelers as well. Seven 1000 yard seasons in twelve years. His nine years in Pittsburgh are some of the best nine years fresh out of the box of any receiver ever on track to be in the Hall of Fame".
A lot of Pittsburgh fans still argue the point of who the best receiver in team history is. Hines Ward, Lynn Swann, John Stallworth, or Brown are the only arguments. It's probably unlikely now that Brown will make the Hall of Fame. He put up the best six-seven years in NFL history but then he ruined everything.
Eisen believes there are still plenty of receivers that need to go into the Hall of Fame before Brown. One of those names is Hines Ward.
But this conversation, 'don't play yourself to see me play'. It's just like, what are you talking about? I want to see him play just because he's incredible. But none of the other stuff like the helmet and the feet in Vegas and then the stuff with the Patriots and finally getting a shot. All you need to know is he could have played with Tom Brady more and instead he took his uniform off and shirtless skipped out of New Jersey against the Jets with his team needing him in the worst way. And that's the way he exits the stage.
It couldn't be sadder, could not be more sad," Eisen said. "When I hear that I'm not going to sit here and say 'who the hell does he think he is?' Because I don't know what's going on with him. This guy could have been in Canton and you're sitting there saying 'he still should be in Canton!' Anquan Boldin is not in Canton yet. Torry Holt's not in Canton yet. Hines Ward deserves to get a spot in front of him. I don't think he's ever going to get a shot in Canton. And that is absolutely as sad as it comes."
Former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward, left, meets with Antonio Brown before an NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts, Sunday, Dec. 6, 2015, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Don Wright)
Brown is scheduled to have a rap concert in Pittsburgh this weekend. It was originally reschedule from May 20th from what we've heard was a lack of ticket sales. A guy who could've had the world. They would've built statues of him in Pittsburgh. The key to the city for life. Instead he flushed it all down the toilet.
