By Ty Anderson, 985TheSportsHub.com
With his eight-game suspension nearing its end, Antonio Brown’s name is back in the rumor mill, and with ‘multiple teams’ looking at the free agent wideout, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Suspended for what the NFL called ‘multiple violations’ of the league’s personal conduct policy — and after appearing in just one game for the Patriots in 2019 before off-field drama led to his eventual release — word of the the 32-year-old Brown drawing interest from teams comes amid what’s been a (strangely) quiet stretch on Twitter for the past month.
And it’s come with the Seahawks appearing to be the potential frontrunner for Brown’s services, according to Schefter.
“Both of Seattle’s quarterbacks, Russell Wilson and Geno Smith, are friends with Brown, worked out with him during the offseason and have remained in touch with him about the idea of bringing him to Seattle, sources said,” Schefter wrote. “The organization is intrigued by the idea of matching Brown with an MVP candidate like Wilson in an offense that already is as potent as any in the league.”
In addition to having the support of the Seahawks’ quarterbacks, there’s also the fact that Seahawks coach Pete Carroll essentially acknowledged the club’s potential interest in Brown back in August. (Carroll noted that it was a “complex situation.”)
Schefter did, however, note that there are no formal contract talks between Brown and the Seahawks, leaving the door ajar for those ‘multiple’ teams to make their pitch to the seven-time Pro Bowler.
So who could be among that group of other teams?
It’s obviously worth noting that Brown’s cousin, Marquise ‘Hollywood’ Brown, plays for the Baltimore Ravens. Both Marquise and Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson have talked about Brown’s potential fit with the Ravens, with the latter outright saying that he’d love to play with him at some point. The Packers have been linked to Brown at various points this year, too, with the oddsmakers at one point considering Green Bay to be among the favorites for AB.
We know that Bucs head coach Bruce Arians, who coached Brown during his time as an offensive coordinator with the Steelers, has zero point zero interest in bringing Brown to Tampa Bay. Even if there’s been interest in Brown and Brady reuniting as teammates, as Brown claimed countless times this offseason. (The Bucs also really don’t need Brown.)
There’s also former stops or near-stops, such as the Patriots and Saints.
Brown’s two-week run in Foxborough was a complete disaster, and while the Patriots repeatedly shot down any chance of a reunion last year, there’s an obvious talent deficiency at wideout and Brown has tried to mend fences. The Saints, meanwhile, brought Brown in for a workout last year, but were seemingly frustrated with Brown bringing a ‘[bleep show]’ to the workout.
And for all the headaches, the talent will always be an allure when it comes to Brown, as the 5-foot-10 wideout was undoubtedly among the best in the game during his nine-year run with the Steelers.
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