The Downward Spiral Continues For The Career Of Antonio Brown

Throughout his career, Antonio Brown had a series of troubles on and off the field which led to suspensions, fines, and overall being trashed all over the web because of his actions. Back in February of 2019, Brown was involved in a domestic dispute, though he wasn't arrested in the incident. A week later, he was found guilty of reckless driving. It would be just the beginning of the receiver's legal troubles. Immediately the Pittsburgh Steelers organization led by owner Art Rooney II took action and released Antonio Brown. However, Brown wasn’t considered as a mediocre talent, and so it was off to Oakland for him to at least attempt to get his career back on track. 

Not only did Brown show up to the Raiders' training camp in a hot air balloon, but he also arrived with foot issues. Brown posted a gnarly image on Instagram of his feet, which was reportedly a result of him wearing improper footwear in a cryogenic chamber in France during the offseason. While Brown's frost bitten feet were healing, he came face to face with the NFL over its new rule banning older helmet models due to safety concerns. With his preferred helmet no longer approved for use, Brown threatened to retire. He filed multiple lawsuits against the NFL and stayed away from the Raiders' practices until he could find the proper headwear. In his short seven month stint with the Raiders, Antonio was fined a total of 54 thousand dollars for the level of disrespect he showed to general manager Mike Mayok. People would think Brown learned his lesson, but that was never the case. At the time, the New England Patriots led by the dynamic duo of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick looked past Brown’s allegations and gave him a chance to suit up in Foxborough. Finally, Antonio Brown was cleared and ready to hit the field alongside one of the greatest players of all time, Tom Brady. It was week two of the 2019 NFL campaign, and the Patriots were ready for a showdown in South Beach to take on the Miami Dolphins. Brown played an important role in the Patriots blowout victory against the Dolphins, posting 56 yards and one touchdown. Following that 43-0 win, things were looking up for Antonio, or so everyone thought. 

Despite the on-field results, Brown was met with more legal trouble. The Patriots released Brown soon after. He'd miss the rest of the 2019 season as the NFL conducted an investigation into the multiple accusations of sexual misconduct and sexual assault against him. Teams were skeptical of Brown’s case and were unsure of if they should sign him or not. Not long after his one game with the Patriots, the New Orleans Saints invited him for workouts to maybe give Brown a chance. However, Antonio Brown wanted his New Orleans welcome to be special, so he and his entourage flew out to record footage of the facility and recorded potential hip hop tracks. This did not sit well with the Saints organization and Brown was denied an opportunity to play in the Big Easy. In March of 2020, Brown’s former quarterback Tom Brady left the New England Patriots after nearly two decades for a new team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Based off of Brady’s success rate, he wanted to make sure talent came with him and so he reunited with fellow Patriot tight end Rob Gronkowski. Rumors went around the top free agents, specifically, Antonio Brown. Bucs head coach Bruce Arians did not hesitate to shoot down those rumors. "There's no room and probably not enough money. It's just not gonna happen. It's not a fit here," Arians said. "I just know him and it's not a fit in our locker room." Arians had no place for Brown on the team and he still became available for the taking. 

Months went by, and nothing was happening, Brown was not wanted amongst anyone in the NFL. Finally, October came and Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians told Brown they had the available cap space, and offered Brown a spot on the roster. The bombshell dropped around 6 p.m. ET on March 23rd 2021, when Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reported both the Bucs and Brown were "highly motivated" to reach a deal. By 7:30 p.m, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the deal was done, and Antonio Brown was to play alongside Tom Brady once again. Brown shined in his debut season in Tampa and alongside the powerful offense, the Bucs clinched a spot in Super Bowl LV (55). It was not even close, as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won their second Super Bowl in their franchise history. Brown had his ring, and it was true that his career with Tom Brady would continue. 

Eighteen months later, Buccaneer’s star wideout Antonio Brown was held accountable for an off the field issue. Things were starting to look positive for Brown heading into the 2021-2022 NFL campaign, however, that was not the case. On the morning of November 21st, the day was shaping up to be as NFL Redzone host Scott Hanson would say, “Action Packed, seven hours of commercial free football starts now!” It was shortly after 2:30 p.m that Brown’s attorney Sean Burstyn received many calls regarding his star receiver. Hours and hours go by, the same problem keeps occurring. Somehow, someway, Antonio Brown was holding a fake COVID-19 vaccination card, just to let him play on the field weekly. It was uncertain as to how Antonio got his hands on the vaccination card, but the NFL’s top investigators were not willing to give up until the truth came out.

The NFL investigation into allegations that Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Antonio Brown used a fake COVID-19 vaccination card is ongoing.  Per ProFootballTalk host Mike Florio on Saturday, NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy said, "the matter remains under review" in an email response about the investigation. It turned out, Brown was not the only one in question regarding the vaccination card. On Nov. 18, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reported that Steven Ruiz, Brown's former live-in chef, said the Bucs wideout tried to obtain a fake vaccination card from him in order to avoid NFL protocols. Antonio Brown was so committed to being on the gridiron every week, that he received this card just to pass tests for him to participate. NFL protocols are different for vaccinated and unvaccinated players.

Unvaccinated players who test positive must sit out for a minimum of ten days and are subject to a five-day isolation period if they have close contact with an individual who has tested positive. Vaccinated players who test positive without symptoms are eligible to return as soon as they return two negative tests 24 hours apart. Brown is in his second season with the Buccaneers. The seven-time Pro Bowler has only appeared in five games in 2021 because of a sprained ankle he suffered in a Week six win over the Philadelphia Eagles. One thing was certain, this was the worst thing Brown could've done, now that the 2021 regular season was slowly coming to an end. 

Brown’s attorney Sean Burstyn released a new statement on the second of December, after the NFL handed down its suspension. While the statement does not admit wrongdoing, it certainly does nothing to dispute the NFL’s findings. “Mr. Brown is vaccinated and continues to support the vaccine for any person for whom it is appropriate.”

The NFL made this their mission to solve the accusations held against Antonio Brown. The NFL said that teams are responsible for verifying personnel and player vaccination status. Any attempt by team personnel or players to use a fake card would be reviewed under the personal conduct policy and may subject them to discipline. It’s also a federal criminal offense to use a fake Covid-19 card because falsifying a government seal, which appears on the cards, is illegal.  Brown was suspended three games without pay following the allegations.  Also suspended for three games were Buccaneers backup safety Mike Edwards and free-agent wide receiver John Franklin III, whom Tampa Bay waived in August. All three players accepted their discipline and will not appeal, according to the NFL. Brown said on December first when asked about his vaccine card on the Richard Sherman Podcast, "That's the sad part. The country says, 'You're innocent until proven guilty,' but you're guilty till you show innocence, because anything someone says, everyone's already magnifying it, and if you come out and say anything, you just put yourself in deeper holes because now it's like ... I learned to realize criticism is answered with achievement. When people criticize you, there's no need to respond or worry.” 

Head Coach Bruce Arians, who has also dealt with numerous health complications, was a guest on the Rich Eisen Show and said "there is no story" when it comes to the latest developments concerning Brown. "He says he is vaccinated and he has a card just like everybody else on our football team," Arians said on the show. "There's a trust factor that goes along with it. We did our due diligence, the league will look into the matter and do their due diligence. It's really no story." Antonio Brown is doing anything in his power to be well motivated, well rested, and be in his best possible shape for his Week 16 return when the Buccaneers clash against the Carolina Panthers.

From suspensions to fines, and new teams, Antonio Brown has become an exceptional talent across his 11 years on the gridiron. Even though Brown has faced many off the field issues throughout his career, he would always stand up for what he believed in and persevered through the toughest of situations. As Brown once said, “The journey is never ending. There’s always gonna be growth, improvement, adversity; you just gotta take it all in and do what’s right, continue to grow, continue to live in the moment.”