Antonio Brown is once again angling for an NFL return. Brown, once considered one of the best players in the league, has not suited up since being cut from the Buccaneers in 2021. However, in a recent post on X, Brown dropped a photo of himself during his time with the Steelers with the caption "Hear me out...". In nine seasons with the Steelers, Brown had 11,207 receiving yards and 74 touchdowns. Furthermore, he made four first-team All-Pro appearances between 2014 and 2017. However, things ended badly between him and the team, leading to the infamous 2019 Raiders saga.
However, it's unlikely that the Steelers, or any NFL franchise, is interested in Brown. Despite his talent, he hasn't played in two years and is widely seen as an unneeded locker-room distraction. Who wants a guy you can't count on staying out of trouble? Plus, Brown is 35 years old and would likely demand the money of a much younger player due to his visibility. Brown might want to stick to partying with frats and promoting whatever "Catch the Energy" is.
Would Brown Improve The Steelers?
The Steelers dropped their opening game of the 2023 season in a 30-7 blowout against the 49ers. Despite the lack of scoring, second-year QB Kenny Pickett up 232 passing yards against one of the best defenses in the league. Those 232 yards were spread across nine targets, with offseason acquisition Allen Robinson II leading the way with 64 yards. However, a poor performance against a serious contender is not a great sample size.
While the Steelers aren't stacked at wide receiver, especially with Diontae Johnson expected to miss a few weeks, Brown would still likely be a backup option given his age and time out of the league. With Johnson out temporarily, the team will likely turn to sophomore Calvin Austin or 2022 acquisition Miles Boykin to fill the vacant slot. Furthermore, Brown didn't exactly leave Pittsburgh on the best of terms, with his reputation only getting worse since then. He shouldn't expect a call from Omar Khan anytime soon.
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