Antonio Brown's best years are long behind him, as the former Steelers wide receiver has gone from perennial All-Pro candidate to washed-up rapper to, more recently, wanted for attempted murder in Florida. On Thursday afternoon, Brown was extradited from Dubai to New Jersey, where he remains in custody.
Brown's fall from grace is one of the most memorable in NFL history. At one point, he was the best receiver in the NFL, surpassing the 1,000-yard mark in seven out of eight seasons in Pittsburgh while catching passes from a franchise icon in Ben Roethlisberger. Had he stayed put, rather than demanding a trade after the 2018-19 season, there's little doubt Brown would've followed Roethlisberger to Canton when eligible.
Instead, that trade – which sent a third- and fifth-round pick to the Steelers – happened, and the rest is history. Reading quotes from Brown's agent Drew Rosenhaus, who undoubtedly had ibuprofen on tap when dealing with his client's misgivings, said AB was a great fit in the Raiders offense. He never played a down in Oakland, and eventually found his footing alongside another all-time great in Tom Brady, even living at his house for a brief period of time.
Brown's career path is amusing enough, but what happened just about six months ago is no laughing matter. The now-37-year-old Brown was wanted on attempted murder, which allegedly occurred at an Adin Ross boxing event. Brown had been spending his time in Dubai, allegedly in an effort to circumvent the American legal system.
Where it all went wrong for Antonio Brown
Brown was always a loose cannon, dating back to his days at Central Michigan. There was a reason a player so talented was taken with the 195th pick in the NFL Draft. What Brown lacked in the MAC he received in Pittsburgh – a support system which kept him in check and made his entire life about football. There was nothing, and no one, bigger than the Steelers. That all eventually changed, of course, as Brown became the best wide receiver in the NFL and began to form his own personal brand away from the locker room. By 2019, he was no longer the same person the Steelers drafted, and a better player. Despite several attempts from Roethlisberger and even Mike Tomlin to reach him, all was lost when AB demanded a trade and got his way.
That ugly exit never kept the door shut in Pittsburgh. Roethlisberger and Brown have reportedly texted, if the wide receiver is to be believed. The general manager who traded Brown, Kevin Colbert, said his door was always open for the troubled Brown if he needed someone to talk to. Le'Veon Bell and Brown even linked up (albeit for questionable reasons) to support Donald Trump's presidential campaign. The list goes on.
However, the consistent theme amid Brown's downfall is that he did little to take the Steelers up on their offer, and as a result surrounded himself with the wrong people and influences who took advantage of his worst qualities and selfish persona. Whether it be Kanye West or, yes, Trump, Brown's entourage grew worse and at times more embarrassing by the year. It should come as no surprise he was extradited from a foreign country, alone.
Where does Antonio Brown go from here?
Brown will more than likely be held at the Miami-Dade Department of Corrections, since that is where he is wanted, after all. He is facing charges of second-degree murder with a deadly weapon. The man who accused Brown of these actions, Zul-Qarnain Kwame Nantambu, told TMZ that Brown "snapped" on him at the boxing event and tried to shoot him with a handgun. Again, these are all allegations until proven otherwise.
Even if Brown is determined innocent – as we are all presumed to be – some self-reflection could do him some good for a change.