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Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster has finally spoken out about what really led to Antonio Brown leaving the franchise in 2019.
Brown abruptly stopped playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers towards the end of the 2018 season and was traded to the Oakland Raiders in the 2019 offseason.
Reports of disagreements between Brown and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, as well as other members of the Steelers, were cited as reasons for Brown's departure from the franchise. But according to Smith-Schuster, Brown is the one to blame.
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Smith-Schuster blames Brown for Steelers departure
In an interview with FOX News, JuJu Smith-Schuster spoke about Antonio Brown's departure from the Pittsburgh Steelers. The wide receiver said:
"I think for the most part just being able to share the spotlight was probably the biggest thing."
"If we could have done that, I think we would have been a very dominant duo. But it was something that he couldn't do, and it is what it is," he continued.
Smith-Schuster wished Brown well and said he was happy for him after his Super Bowl victory with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
For the first two seasons of Juju Smith-Schuster's NFL career, Antonio Brown acted as his mentor. With Brown at the peak of his career and Smith-Schuster also delivering consistently, the Steelers' offense was a juggernaut in their time together.
But when Smith-Schuster started getting more of the offensive targets and blossomed into a number one receiver, Brown apparently became increasingly agitated, which led to a falling out between the duo.
After departing Pittsburgh, Brown blocked Smith-Schuster's phone number as well as on social media.
Things quickly spiraled for Brown after leaving the Steelers. After being traded to the Raiders, Brown was involved in one controversy after another. He eventually refused to show up at training camp and asked the team to release him, which they reluctantly did.
He signed with the New England Patriots and was seemingly happy to play alongside Tom Brady. But soon after signing for the Patriots, Brown was accused of sexual misconduct, which led to the team releasing the receiver after just one game.
Brown was reunited with Brady after signing a one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020. The wide receiver caught only 45 catches for 483 yards and four touchdowns in the regular season but was a reliable target in the playoffs, catching a touchdown pass in the Super Bowl.
After the Buccaneers hoisted the Lombardi Trophy in February, it was unclear if Brown would re-sign with Tampa Bay. But he recently signed another one-year deal with the team.
Meanwhile, Smith-Schuster is now the number one receiver on the Pittsburgh Steelers. It seems like both players have moved on and are happy where they currently are.
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