The Antonio Brown saga has seen many peaks and valleys since the start of the 2021 NFL season. But the low point was Week 17. That's when the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver stripped off his pads and jersey and exited the field at the end of the fourth quarter of a game against the New York Jets.
Since then, Brown has been seen with musical artists such as Kanye West and Lil Wayne. The latter recently spoke with good friend Skip Bayless, co-host of the FOX Sports One show Undisputed.
Here is what Bayless said about Lil Wayne's conversation with Antonio Brown, and what he believes will be his next endeavor:
"I’ll throw in something that Lil Wayne told me (about) a month ago. We were talking about what is AB’s future, and Wayne said, 'I think he’s going to be a full-time rapper'. That’s just his read from a distance. He’s heard him perform, and he thinks he’s pretty good, and obviously, he’s now got a partner who’s really good, who can prop him up in Kanye."
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Just days after the incident against the New York Jets, the former All-Pro receiver released a song titled "Pit Not The Palace" on his Instagram account.
Taking this into consideration, along with Brown's recent affiliation with Grammy-winning artist Kanye West, perhaps Lil Wayne is right in his assessment.
The former Buccaneers receiver was hired by Kanye as the head of the sports division of his company - Donda Sports, which provides support to athletes.
Will Antonio Brown play in the NFL next season?
Despite a checkered past, talented players like Brown are available at a premium in the NFL market. Although Antonio Brown is without a team at the moment, it won't be a surprise if a side decides to take a chance with the much-maligned receiver.
He began his career with Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers. The 33-year-old made a name for himself there as one of the best receivers to ever play the game at this position.
But in 2018, he was suspended and eventually traded away as he reportedly threw a football in anger at Roethlisberger and skipped practice near the end of the season.
Brown was traded away to the Las Vegas Raiders in March 2019. However, he never played a down with the team as he filed a grievance suit against the NFL. The reason for this were the mandated helmet changes for all players.
The former Buccaneers' wide receiver initially refused to comply, which is why he filed the suit. He also argued with General Manager Mike Mayock and was fined $54,000 for absences (unexcused) and missing team practices.
He was eventually released and signed by the New England Patriots only to play one game as he was soon facing allegations of sexual assault. Upon the news, Patriots team owner Robert Kraft decided to release Brown immediately.
The Buccaneers, Patriots, and Raiders have each signed the likely future Hall of Famer with knowledge of his misgivings and shortcomings off the field.
If the past is any indicator, then it's safe to believe that we will once again see Antonio Brown in an NFL jersey, sooner rather than later.
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