Antonio Brown’s story is a football tragedy. For years, it’s been apparent Brown doesn’t belong in an NFL locker room, and yet, his otherworldly talent is too enticing for teams to pass up. Or more accurately, too enticing for Tom Brady to pass up. On Sunday, the latest chapter in Brown’s painful saga ended with him stripping down and showboating on his way out of the stadium, while Brady engineered another game-winning drive.
It was a remarkable blowup that drew a remarkable rebuke from Bruce Arians and the rest of the NFL world. That is, except from Brady. He displayed a level of empathy towards Brown that’s often absent from the callous world of pro football. We would be wise to remember Brady’s words. This story is no laughing matter.
Brown has hurt a lot of people in the lead-up to his latest meltdown. The enigmatic wideout owns an inglorious rap sheet featuring far worse offenses than quitting on his team. He’s faced two credible allegations of sexual assault, a felony charge for burglary with battery, and accusations from workers who say Brown refused to pay them. He was also suspended three games this season for using a fake vaccination card. Arians is a three-time cancer survivor, and thus, especially susceptible to suffering a bad outcome from Covid-19.
But Brown’s dangerous behavior hasn’t occurred in a vacuum. The Buccaneers signed Brown and kept him employed, despite the numerous strikes against his character. And now, Arians wants to forget about Brown, whom he helped enable for the last two years. Or at least, that was Arians’ message Sunday. “He is no longer a Buc,” Arians said. “That’s the end of the story.”
Brady took the opposite approach.
“I think everybody should hopefully do what they can to help him in ways that he really needs it,” Brady told reporters. “We all love him. We care about him deeply. We want to see him be at his best.”
It’s apparent Brady believed the best way to help Brown was bringing him into New England, and most recently, Tampa Bay. That’s not to say Brady’s motivations were completely benevolent. Brown is an incredible receiver, and obviously, Brady wants as much talent around him as possible. But Brady’s efforts to help Brown haven’t ended at the stadium. The quarterback has gone as far as taking Brown into his home -- twice.
There’s no looking past the potential role football has played in Brown’s downfall. You can draw a straight line between Vontaze Burfict’s crushing hit and Brown’s most problematic behavior. Brown has earned millions from playing in the NFL, but at a seemingly steep mental cost.
It’s a reality that Arians acknowledged Monday. “I hope if he needs help, (he) gets some,” Arians said. “It’s very hard because I do care about him.”
There also may be more to Brown’s dramatic in-game exit than an erratic receiver blowing up. NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reports Brown didn’t want to play because his ankle was bothering him, but Arians persisted. The truth goes beyond the memes.
Credit Brady for recognizing that, and not being afraid to say it out loud.
