Antonio Brown had a surprising reason why he’s been acting so crazy

Antonio Brown is STILL out there talkin’.

The erstwhile wide receiver, who’s basically done in the NFL following years of erratic and sometimes criminal behavior, is now openly admitting he’s been dealing with severe CTE in the wake of his football career. Considering the litany of incidents bearing this guy’s name, and we’re not going to list them all here, it’s not the least bit surprising that something is wrong with him mentally.

But when did this craziness start? Brown believes he knows a certain NFL player did it to him – and it’s not who you might think.

• AB on Live:"I wanted to tell you guys that I think James Harrison gave me CTE. James Harrison had an illegal helmet for over 20 years in the NFL. And he hit me one time. And ever since he hit me I've been super aggressive. So blame James Harrison for my CTE."
  
  🎥 - @BlitzGuyOG pic.twitter.com/JyXlHpgX0U

  — uSTADIUM (@uSTADIUM) February 4, 2023

• No, it was not former Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict that Brown blamed for his head injuries, but former Steelers teammate James Harrison. Brown called out Harrison in a recent live video on his Instagram page, saying he wore an illegal helmet during his career and that contributed to a hit that caused extreme, irreparable cognitive damage.

  “I wanted to tell you guys that I think James Harrison gave me CTE,” Brown said. “James Harrison had an illegal helmet for over 20 years in the NFL, and he hit me one time, and ever since he hit me, I’ve been super-aggressive. So blame James Harrison for my CTE.”

  Patriots legend James Harrison.

• 

  PITTSBURGH, PA – DECEMBER 10: James Harrison #92 of the Pittsburgh Steelers takes the field for warmups before the game against the Baltimore Ravens at Heinz Field on December 10, 2017 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)

• It’s unclear when Harrison hit Brown hard enough to cause significant subconcussive trauma, but Brown could simply be referring to his time with the Steelers when Harrison hit Brown as a teammate.

  The prevailing theory around Brown’s head trauma is that the turning point was a cheap hit by Burfict at the end of the 2015 Wild Card game between the Steelers and Bengals. The hit knocked Brown out cold on the field. Boston fans may recognize Burfict’s hit as a Matt Cooke-esque running of the helmet/shoulder through a defenseless player’s head.

  But apparently, Brown believes Harrison and his supposedly illegal helmet is the real culprit. Harrison makes for an easy villain due to his violent style of play, brash attitude, and general disregard for even his own health & safety. But when it came to this controversy, he actually had a funny response:

• Me realizing why I had 150 text messages this morning. 🤯😂 pic.twitter.com/KmfYilqpbG

  — James Harrison (@jharrison9292) February 4, 2023

• So, it’s an interesting theory by Brown why he is the way he is now. But no matter who or what caused his CTE, it’s clear that something is off. Hopefully, for his own sake, Brown gets off his phone for once in his life and does more to treat his head injuries, rather than blaming others and ranting on Instagram about it.

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  Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Yell at him on Twitter @mattdolloff and follow him on Instagram @realmattdolloff. Check out all of Matt’s content here.