As the NFL prepares for the 2023 kickoff, the curious case of Antonio Brown adds another chapter to its long and interesting story. Many across the league, both players and fans, wonder how Brown is doing mentally with everything that has occurred off the field, often alluding to potential cognitive decline over the last few years.
It seems as if Brown is hearing the talk, and instead of addressing it or even being a voice of reason for the conversation, he is leaning into it further with another bizarre rant on social media.
C.atch
T.he
E.nergyCTE !!!!!
— AB (@AB84) September 7, 2023
While no one believes CTE is a joking matter, Brown has given the acronym an entirely different meaning than the root cause in this strange post on X.
What Is CTE?
CTE is Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. It is a progressive and fatal brain disease associated with repeated traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), including concussions and repeated blows to the head. It is also associated with the development of dementia.
As you can see, it is no laughing matter and something very real that retired and NFL players are either learning about or dealing with right now. What people know and understand about CTE is ever-changing, and the impacts it has on people’s lives are being studied further daily.
What Happened To Antonio Brown?
Since 2018 it has seemed like Brown continued to find himself in less-than-ideal situations.
During the 2018 season, Brown was involved in numerous incidents, including tossing furniture out of his 14th-floor apartment window in April, nearly hitting a 22-month-old child on the patio below, and being cited for speeding, driving in excess of 100 miles per hour. Brown was later sued for the furniture incident and reached a settlement with the family of the child in April 2019.
Again in 2019, Brown’s former trainer, Britney Taylor, filed a lawsuit alleging he sexually assaulted her on three occasions. She claimed that he exposed himself to her. Brown and his legal team denied the allegations. A second woman stepped up and accused Brown of similar acts during that time as well.
In 2020, following multiple domestic incidents in which police were called to Brown’s home in Florida, the Hollywood Police Department stated they no longer wanted Brown to be associated with their youth league.
The Hollywood Police Department returned a check from Brown and issued a trespass order preventing him from being involved with their youth league from that point forward.
Mere days after that incident, it was reported that Brown and an accomplice had attacked a moving truck driver at his home, which led to Brown being charged with battery and burglary.
In 2022, it was reported that Brown exposed himself to a woman at the Armani Hotel in Dubai. In December of 2022, Tampa police attempted to serve Brown with an arrest warrant on domestic violence charges related to an incident with his ex-fiancé on November 28.
CTE 👈🏾👉🏾👈🏾👉🏾👈🏾👉🏾👈🏾👉🏾👈🏾👉🏾👈🏾 #CacththeEnergy #Tallahassee pic.twitter.com/m7ZqxdVeoB
— AB (@AB84) September 7, 2023
In 2023, Brown’s Snapchat account was suspended after he posted an explicit photo to the app. In April 2023, an arrest warrant was issued for Brown for failing to make child support payments. And he had another arrest warrant for similar wrongdoings in August of this year as well.
MORE: Antonio Brown Opens up on Gisele Bündchen Drama
Currently, Brown has been using CTE either as a crutch or an excuse for his behavior rather than getting help and taking responsibility.
The story of the extremely talented Antonio Brown will sadly never be just about the excellent play he displayed on the field. The story of AB will always, unfortunately, have to include everything else.