The Pittsburgh Steelers and legendary wide receiver Antonio Brown didn't exactly end things in a positive manner back in 2018. The Steelers traded him to the then-Oakland Raiders, and he proceeded to only play 19 total games for the remainder of his career. In other words, the team did get rid of him at the perfect time. On his way out though, Brown notoriously trashed several teammates, including Ben Roethlisberger and JuJu Smith-Schuster.
Sporting News
Former Steelers wideout Antonio Brown infamously trashed fellow teammate JuJu Smith-Schuster after leaving Pittsburgh, which was the final straw for fans.
That didn't sit well with Steelers fans, and rightfully so. Since hilariously exiting the field with no shirt or jersey on in 2021, the seven-time Pro Bowler hasn't returned to the NFL.
He recently interacted with the Steelers community, including our very own Brandon "B-Wall" Wallace, on Monday via Spaces on X (formally known as Twitter). In the discussion, he mentioned the fact that he wants to retire a Steeler and make things right with the historic franchise.
"I've gotta retire a Steeler first. I don't think I'm retired yet... If you build a big case for me, maybe we'll come and make it [tailgate] happen."
To help get back on the right track with fans, Brown seemed open to the idea of possibly joining Le'Veon Bell for SteelerNation's Terrible Tailgate in a few weeks. Similar to what Bell did a few months ago, it would help him get back on the good side with Pittsburgh fans. Bell will be at the Terrible Tailgate once again just two days before Christmas, as the Steelers host the Cincinnati Bengals at Acrisure Stadium.
Buy Tickets at www.TerribleTailgate.com
It would be interesting to see those two greats reunite, as they were arguably the best at their respective positions when they were dominating for the Steelers. Brown clarified that he feels as if he does have a little left in the tank, but he is done playing football. As he mentioned, he hasn't yet officially retired. Just weeks ago, he tweeted out a question asking his followers if he should retire with the Steelers or the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Should The Steelers Welcome Brown Back To Pittsburgh?
To the naked eye, there's no doubt as to who he should retire with. All of his major career accomplishments, albeit his lone Super Bowl ring with Tampa, came with the Steelers, not the Buccaneers. It seems as if he has finally come to that realization, now it's just a matter of the organization accepting Brown back. It seems as if he is at least trying to get back on the right track.
Since leaving the NFL, that hasn't always been the case given the fact that he's gone through his fair share of legal troubles. Beyond apologizing to the fan base as a whole, Brown may need to apologize to a few members of the Steelers organization first as well, specifically Roethlisberger. While Roethlisberger is technically no longer a part of the organization, he's seen as a legend in the city of Pittsburgh.
Don Wright / AP Photo
The Steelers' "Killer B's" trio remains one of the most fascinating watches in NFL history, yet it resulted in zero Super Bowl appearances.
Earlier in the year, Brown did finally give his former quarterback some respect in an interview. When asked who the most underrated teammate of his 12-year career was, he responded by saying Roethlisberger. To this day, it remains a mystery as to how a team with Roethlisberger, Bell, and Brown failed to win (or even make) a Super Bowl. Unfortunately, it remains one of the biggest criticisms of Mike Tomlin, who has faced his fair share of noise recently. We'll see how much he means it, but it seems like Brown is trying to finally apologize to the city of Pittsburgh.
Would you welcome Brown back to Pittsburgh? How do you think the fans would respond if he retired a Steeler? Share your thoughts in the comment section below, yinz!
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