For Pittsburgh Steelers fans, Antonio Brown having a falling out with a quarterback is no new story. His abrupt departure from Pittsburgh and ugly breakup with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger feels like salt in a fresh wound more than four years later. For years, Roethlisberger took public criticism from Brown. The tables have turned and while Brown made headlines earlier this week for surprisingly speaking highly of Roethlisberger, he has also finally spoken out on his falling out with Tom Brady.
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Brown was drafted out of the University of Central Michigan with the 195th pick in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. Coming in as an underdog, it didn't take the receiver long before proving the critics wrong and becoming Roethlisberger's top target. The duo went on a legendary run spanning from 2011-2018. Brown became such a game-changer that the only choice for teams was to opt for double coverage.
When JuJu Smith-Schuster was drafted by the Steelers in 2017, he benefitted from other teams prioritizing putting a stop to seven-time Pro-Bowl receiver in Brown. This paved the way for Smith-Schuster to become a star, earning team MVP over Brown in 2018. Unfortunately, this and rumored disputes with Roethlisberger were the nails in the coffin for Brown's time in Pittsburgh.
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Steelers wide receivers Antonio Brown and Juju Smith-Schuster celebrate a touchdown against the Cleveland Browns.
After a brief and tumultuous run with the then-Oakland Raiders and an even shorter tenure with the New England Patriots, it seemed that it was the end of the road in the NFL for the talented receiver. When all hope was gone, none other than seven-time Super Bowl Champion Tom Brady took him under his wing. After an eight-game suspension in 2020, Brown joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with his former teammate Brady. Brady went as far as letting Brown temporarily live in his Florida home while he settled into the new environment. At the time, Brown credited the quarterback for single-handedly turning around his life and career.
"Tom Brady is one of my closest friends ever man and my dog. Tom is the guy that came to get me. He the guy provided me over this Jeff's overhaul, he made a plan for me getting back into lead made a plan for me to get back to being a champion, got my life on track to be in a position I'm in."
When History Repeats Itself
After winning a Super Bowl in 2021 and appearing on top of the world, it didn't take long for history to repeat itself once again. In January 2022, Brown did the unthinkable against the New York Jets and threw a temper tantrum, running off the field shirtless. This was the beginning of a very public breakup between the former inseparable teammates.
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Wednesday, Brown finally detailed the reason behind the breakup with Brady.
"So now when we get the ring in 2021, I'm the last guy that signed. My agent, Ed Wasielewski, is getting called, cursed out by Tom Brady over why is he pushing back for the contract for scraps. Imagine if you heard that, the same guy that brought you in to win a ring, the same agent he told you to hook up with to get the deal, is not telling me, the guy’s calling him, saying, yo, cursing him out about scraps of a contract."
Needless to say, Brown felt absolutely betrayed by his close friend and teammate. Ever since it's been a rocky run to say the very least. While Brady is now enjoying retirement (for good this time), Brown has continued to taunt the quarterback on social media. Here at SteelerNation, we're just glad Roethlisberger's turn is over.
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