Antonio Brown Posts Series of Tweets, Seemingly Retires From NFL

Antonio Brown does not currently have an NFL team after only appearing in one game for the New England Patriots during the 2019 season. Some fans have expressed hope that he will join the Baltimore Ravens and Lamar Jackson, but this may not take place following a cryptic tweet. Brown asked if he should walk away before seemingly retiring.

“Is it time to walk away i done [checkmark emoji] everything in the game ?!!” Brown tweeted on Monday. This message prompted several responses from fans saying that the NFL needs him. Brown then continued by tweeting, “at this point the risk is greater than the reward thank you everyone who been part of this journey i sincerely thank you for everything! life goes on 84!”

When NFL fans saw the tweets, they asked if Brown was actually serious. At only 32 years old, he is still one of the most talented receivers and could provide firepower to several teams. These fans didn’t actually expect Brown to truly walk away from the NFL.

“I came i saw i conquered mission complete Call God,” Brown continued. He then tweeted out “Himothy,” the name of his rap album. Many fans viewed this as confirmation that Brown is truly walking away from the NFL and turning his full attention to his rap career.

Prior to the news on Monday, several outlets reported that Brown could join either the Ravens or Seahawks. NFL Network’s Adam Silver said that both teams have conducted internal discussions about signing the seven-time Pro Bowler. He only appeared in one game during the 2019 season due to numerous legal issues, but both teams reportedly believed Brown would make their offenses better.

Having Brown join either team would not immediately guarantee his availability on opening day. There were reports that he would face a multi-game suspension due to an incident with the driver of a moving truck, as well as allegations of sexual assault. The NFL did not officially a suspension due to Brown remaining a free agent.

If Brown is truly done with the NFL, he walks away as one of the most prolific receivers in league history. As a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers from 2010-2018, Brown appeared in 130 games and recorded 837 receptions along with 11,207 yards and 74 touchdowns. He was named to the Pro Bowl seven times while being named to the All-Pro First Team four times. Brown had initially revealed goals of catching the NFL’s all-time receiving Jerry Rice before retiring, and he was on pace to potentially do so prior to the 2019 season. Now he will instead choose to walk away.