Last we saw Antonio Brown, he was walking off the field in January in a game against the Jets, ending his time with the Buccaneers.
And now, with no team apparently interested in the 33-year-old wide receiver, he's contemplating retirement and what comes next.
For Brown, a sixth-round draft pick of the Steelers in 2010, that means retiring as a member of the Steelers.
Just wanna Retire A Steeler
— AB (@AB84) May 16, 2022
Brown left the Steelers in a much-publicized spat with the team following the 2018 season. He stormed out of practice before the team's regular season finale and was told by Mike Tomlin he would not be playing that week against the Browns when he finally returned on Saturday.
The Steelers then dealt him to the Raiders for third and fifth-round draft picks, but he never played a down for the Raiders, forcing his release after some additional bizarre behavior.
That led to his signing with the Patriots, a move that lasted just one game after reports surfaced that Brown was being investigated by the NFL for violations of the personal conduct policy.
Brown posted on social media he was retiring from football, but changed his mind and was suspended for the first eight games of the 2020 season. He eventually signed with the Buccaneers at the behest of Tom Brady, helping Tampa Bay win a Super Bowl that season.
He signed a one-year deal to return to Tampa Bay in 2021, but was sidelined for a large part of the season with an ankle injury. He then clashed with head coach Bruce Arians upon his return, leading to him walking off the field in the game against the Jets.
Brown has 928 receptions for 12,291 yards and 83 touchdowns in his career. He had the majority of that production with the Steelers, catching 837 passes for 11,207 yards and 74 touchdowns in nine seasons in Pittsburgh.
Brown was named to seven Pro Bowls and was All-Pro in five of his seasons with the Steelers.
Just to be clear about his intentions, Brown later tweeted that he wasn't considering a return to the Steelers as a player.
Not Play Jus Retire so we Clear
— AB (@AB84) May 16, 2022
That would mean the Steelers would have to sign Brown to a non-paying, one-day contract that would allow him to end his career where it started.
Will the Steelers be willing to do so? Perhaps. At some point, Brown is going to be considered for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. And before that happens, it would be in his best interests to bury the hatchet with the team.
This could be his way of doing so.
