The Pittsburgh Steelers parted ways with Antonio Brown in 2018 after he gave the team nine incredible seasons. Since Brown has left Pittsburgh, the entire world has watched as he has appeared to spiral out of control. There is rarely a week that goes by that Brown doesn't have himself caught up in some kind of drama. There have been lawsuits, his team ownership that crashed and burnt, and his rap career to name a few. And much like a car crash, it's hard to turn away.
Peter Diana / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Antonio Brown was never shy about telling the world how talented he was.
Whenever Brown does an interview, he makes a lot of outlandish claims and draws a lot of attention. The only thing bigger than Brown's stat line is his ego. He recently joined Cam Capone on the Cam Capone News podcast and talked a lot about his wild ride of an NFL career. During the interview, Brown promoted himself heavily. He was an outstanding receiver, there is no denying it, but he claims he is better than Jerry Rice, Terrell Owens, and Randy Moss, and even better than one beloved Steelers legend, Hines Ward.
Steelers' Antonio Brown Said He Owns Hines Ward
Ward played for the Steelers from 1998-2011 and helped them win two Super Bowls. He has been nominated for the NFL Hall of Fame several times, but has not been inducted. The claim is that he doesn't have the "stats" to back up a Hall of Fame-type career. The committee doesn't look at the intangibles, or Ward's impact every time he was on the field, in particular, the fierce way he blocked defenders.
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Steelers' Hines Ward was named Super Bowl XL MVP.
While on Capone's show, Brown told him he expects to be inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2027, the earliest year he would be eligible. The notion of Brown going to the Hall of Fame is a controversial one. Most agree that just based on stats alone, he deserves an induction. But how he has presented himself off-the-field hurts his eligibility. Brown told Capone it is basically a done deal and suggested he "google it," adding that he would go in as a Steeler.
"I'm [going to] go down with the Steelers. I got more stats than Hines Ward, and receiving yards, so when it's time for me to retire, I go back to Pittsburgh Steelers who drafted me in 2010," said Brown.
During his time in Pittsburgh, Brown played 130 games and had 837 receptions for 11,207 yards and 74 touchdowns. In his entire career, he played in 146 games and had 928 receptions for 12,291 yards and 83 touchdowns. During Ward's career, he played 217 games and had 1,000 receptions for 12,083 yards and 85 touchdowns.
In total, Brown does edge out Ward in yards, but not in touchdowns or the number of receptions. Of course, Ward played much longer than Brown and his career wasn't all chopped up like Brown's was. Brown repeatedly said that he did more with less than Ward. But none of that excuses how ugly Brown got about Ward.
"I do it faster bro. He got some good stats, he got some yards. But he can't f*** with me. He can't even wear my jock strap. Yeah, Hines Ward my stepson. He's a baby. He's a baby wipe, many I'm constipated, I'm still s****ing on him. And I had to deal with more adversity, more criticism. I'm letting you know what a guy got to deal with when he been so great. Hines Ward can't f*** with me."
Brown continues on telling Capone that the NFL says they want to put the greatest players in history in the Hall of Fame and he feels like he's that guy. It is just a matter of time.
He may be a polarizing figure in the NFL, but he definitely left his mark in Pittsburgh. That era of the "Killer B's" with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and running back Le'Veon Bell were exceptional. There is no denying the amount of talent the team had. But comparing Ward and Brown is kind of an apples-to-oranges comparison, despite it being the same position.
Peter Diana / Post-Gazette
Former Steelers wide receiver, Hines Ward smiles in the direction of his successor Antonio Brown at the UPMC Sports Complex in Pittsburgh, PA.
The NFL is ever evolving and the one that Ward played in is different than the one Lynn Swann played in, the one Brown played in, or the one that George Pickens is currently playing in. In a decade, we will be discussing some new receiver and how he compares to Pickens and it will be subjective because the game will change. What won't change is that Brown sounds like a poor sport.
What do you think about Brown's comments? Click to comment below.
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