The entire football world has been at the edge of their seats this past month watching one of the game’s most gifted receivers make a mockery of his career. Over the past three weeks, Antonio Brown was accused of sexual misconduct and rape, released by two teams, and dropped by Nike. Why you ask? His actions and his actions alone. 

Fame and fortune have ruined many lives, but this would be too easy of an excuse for A.B.. People make choices everyday, and everyone has made a few bad ones in their life, but AB knew that his choices would not be private forever. He was the most famous receiver in the game. I don’t defend A.B.; I just wish he carried himself differently. 

The life of a pro athlete is one such a small percentage of people get. The constant publicity is a valuable platform when used properly. Many pros use their public lives as channels for good. Charity foundations are had by players on every team. Imagine if the most popular football player in America was solely focused on playing the best football he could, while also helping others. 

We all make mistakes, with some consequences more severe than others. AB made his fair share of them, and as a result he is out of the league. Even the Patriots, one of the most composed and welcoming organizations in the league, couldn’t handle the distraction that he was. I truly hope that down the line AB makes peace with himself and anyone else he negatively impacted. 

AB received interest from a few teams following his release from the Patriots, but I don’t believe he will see another snap this year. But that’s for the best. There are situations he needs to settle off the field as a person before he can ever go back to being a player. NFL teams won’t take a chance on him unless they are one-hundred percent sure he has changed. AB has the power to change the narrative surrounding his name, and I hope he does. 

Antonio Brown is still one of the most elite deep ball threats to play the game. His ability to generate separation and his precise route running made him one of the most formidable wideouts in the league. Not to mention his speed off the ball is comparable to only the all time greats. The sky was the limit with this guy had he kept his act together. But he didn’t.