Free agent wideout Antonio Brown made headlines once again this offseason with an unexpected message related to his playing career. Earlier this week, he tweeted his desire to retire as a member of the Steelers. 
As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes, however, that message wasn’t meant as a request to sign with Pittsburgh now or in the future. The 33-year-old has remained on the open market since his infamous departure from the Buccaneers. Among the reasons for the team cutting him was the status of his injured ankle, which remains an impediment to him being available for the 2022 campaign.
“I need to get my ankle fixed, but I just want to make sure I got an obligation or a commitment from a team”, Brown said in March. “It’s a lot for a guy to go do surgery without an idea of where you gonna work, or who you going to work for.”
As Florio notes, there has been “no talk about any team signing Brown” throughout the offseason, even with the initial waves of free agency and the draft having taken place. The four-time All-Pro produced during his time in Tampa Bay, leaving open the possibility that a receiver-needy team could take a flier on him, but the new-look Steelers offense already features a number of notable pass catchers.
Pittsburgh saw wideouts JuJu Smith-Schuster and James Washington depart in free agency, but added George Pickens during the draft. He will join starters Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool as the Steelers transition into the post-Ben Roethlisberger era. While there would seem to be no interest on the Steelers’ part in a reunion with Brown anyway, then, this situation will remain worth watching if he continues to go unsigned and ultimately decides to end his career.
Only a desperate team would even think about signing him. He’s been pointed from Pit, LV, NE & TB. How many chances should he get?
*See Josh Gordon. At least that many chances I’m sure.
Foolish teams make foolish decisions.
And because GMs and HCs often have a huge ego, they frequently try to prove that they can make something work that other teams couldn’t. Usually they fail.
See Josh Gordon as a reason NOT to use him as an example! Too many chances, only up hurting himself and the team.
Josh Gordon is the example of how to make a career of not having a career.
Josh Gordon had an alcohol addiction. To compare him to Brown is ridiculous.
The comparison is how many chances he was given to put on an NFL uniform, not his penchant for enjoying adult beverages.
It’s the same reason anybody with off the field problems gets second, third, fourth, & fifth chances: when they get cut, teams ask themselves, can he help us win? He could still start in Chicago & Atlanta based on their offseason moves, and maybe somewhere else i’m not thinking of.
I’d still take him in GB despite how much of a mess this guy is, only because the WR group is so thin having Watkins having only a few years of success and Cobb the same.
He’s a mental case, but when on the field AB is still a top route runner in the game and can still play. You just have to reconcile his antics which means you probably don’t get a full season.
As a Steelers fan for many years, all I can say about your comment is…sometimes the best deal you make is no deal at all
I actually live in Pittsburgh haha, I know first hand how AB is. I’d STILL take him out od desperation.
No (all that needs to be said)
Antonio Brown and Aaron Rodgers would be Must See TV. If I were a television producer, I’d put them between the Kardasians and OC Housewives. Grab your popcorn.
Godell should pay the Packers to take Brown, with the condition Hard Knocks feature the Packers. Must-see docudrama.
What a nut job. “I need to get my ankle fixed”, but refuses to do so until a team wants to sign him.
Jets are looking for a #1 WR… Let’s make it happen
If I were the Jets I wouldn’t sign this guy if he paid me. Too much baggage
Yeahhh naw.. Corey Davis, Garrett Wilson, Elijah Moore and Berrios are not that bad. I wouldn’t take any reps from them for AB right now.
Should try to resign Leveon Bell too! smh
Ray rice needs a third shot at greatness
I feel like Ray Rice differs from AB. Not that I think any team should sign him, but it wouldn’t be nearly the PR nightmare as Rice would have been.
Unlike Brown, Rice has since attempted to make up for his past actions. That alone differentiates him from Brown.
pretty sure Ray Rice made one drastic mistake while hammered and is generally regarded as a decent dude.
AB makes ridiculous decisions while sober on a daily basis
edit: regarded as a decent dude by his teammates, not the public mob
Only because he was trying to hold onto his money and job. Dude lied about the incident when it first came out. Then married his fiance so she wouldn’t testify against him in his assault case.
Yeah, he’s a gem. Spitting on a woman and then knocking her out like he was Mike Tyson. Other than that, he’s fantastic. I don’t care what other idiots think of him. You hit a woman like that, you’re the worst of the worst.
Why would a team with no chance to make the playoffs sign Brown? No team should sign him but I could see a team that needs a WR taking a chance and hoping to get 10-12 games out of him
This was because he has a rap concert locally in the burg and wanted free publicity. What a scammer.
theres the free publicity he wanted
Good luck with that
Sure AB, come on in for a workout, let’s see how you look. Now stand here on the 50….
Then have him repeatedly tackled like a tackling dummy.
Sorry AB, we don’t think we have a spot for you.
The only question left is, Who is stupid enough to sign this weirdo again? The Milton Bradley of football. His next team should be Bellevue Nutters.
I see these articles and see Carroll in his office with a thinking cloud over his head. He is thinking we have 2 really good WRs how could they cover 3? Like I agave said before, please baby Jesus don’t let us be the one to sign him. With all his other BS could you imagine him being the 3rd best WR on a run first Off? I think it would be epic for another team. Would make great tv.
AB
““I need to get my ankle fixed, but I just want to make sure I got an obligation or a commitment from a team”, Brown said in March. “It’s a lot for a guy to go do surgery without an idea of where you gonna work, or who you going to work for.”
Every NFL Team
We need you to get your ankle fixed, we just want to make sure we got an obligation or a commitment from a player that they can play. It’s a lot for a team to pay for surgery without an idea of when you gonna work.
Please stop giving AB attention so he will go away.
Why is his name still relevant?
Where’s the “Latest on Lance Alworth” article?
I believe he announced his retirement – just wants to make it official by retiring with the Steelers.
link to newsfilecorp.com
To quote Steve Spurrier: “He’s not in jail, is he?”
“I think this guy is dead…”
“Well, then cross him off the list!”
lmao
The irony here is that most teams will want him to be able to pass a physical before he signs, so he’s got the process completely backwards
Sorry, but the latest on Antonio Brown is nothing has changed. He’s still a piece of dog crap bleeping idiot.
I “may” have this wrong, but believe his delay of ankle surgery until he receives a commitment from a team is because he’s a cheap ass. Being proactive would mean he’d have to come out of pocket versus having the “new team” fund the surgery/rehab.
If Brown handles his finances like he has his immature antics over his career, I’m pretty sure he’s broke.
Likely would be a horrible Walmart greeter but, who knows?
Go have dinner with Kap and rehash the days when you played pro football. The day you pulled that stunt in Tampa was your last day in the NFL. BTW there is some new football league out there.. Go play for them!
If a team thinks he’s the missing piece they wil absolutely sign him