Antonio Brown Quits NFL, Surprising Countless Fans and Analysts
Sunday morning, 28 NFL teams were locked in and preparing for the upcoming slate of football [...]
Everything lives forever on the internet, and NFL reporters want to remind Antonio Brown of this fact. When he declared that he was done with the NFL, the former Patriots receiver talked about losing $40 million in guarantees because owners can do what they want. Well, Steve Wyche remembers these situations playing out very differently.
prevnextDidn’t he make a video celebrating his freedom from one of those teams in which he pretty much forfeited $30 million? https://t.co/mL2RvGUM4a
— Steve Wyche (@wyche89) September 22, 2019
ESPN's Adam Schefter is a man that has been kept extremely busy by the Antonio Brown saga. Whether he was breaking news back in the 2018 NFL season that the Pittsburgh Steelers would be benching Brown or revealing that a trade with the Oakland Raiders would be going down, Schefter has been a man without sleep.
prevnextHelmet issue feels like a long time ago....
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 22, 2019
While there are many that don't agree with Brown's viewpoint, there are others that actually understand his declaration. Having teams that can cut players without financial penalty is frustrating for those that don pads each week. That being said, Brown may not be the best case study.
prevnextIf Antonio Brown plans on boycotting the NFL until player contracts are guaranteed, he might as well announce his retirement. He raises a valid concern--teams' ability to cut players without paying has hurt players who did everything right--but he's not the ideal champion for it. https://t.co/kKBqd1Jlrz
— Michael McCann (@McCannSportsLaw) September 22, 2019
Brown may be frustrated with the way that he was released by two separate teams, but he is an employee and must follow rules. As Scott Winter explained on Twitter, there are rules that must be followed to maintain your employment status. Brown didn't follow the rules.
prevnextIf I don't show up for work, post sensitive information on social media, send harassing emails, use racial slurs against my boss, record a phone conversation with my boss, and engage in conduct detrimental to my organization, my employment would be instantly terminated #Raiders https://t.co/oClY73Ndkl
— Scott Winter (@Scott_WinterNFL) September 22, 2019
Brown may say that he's walking away from the NFL, but it may not be a simple matter. As of right now, he doesn't actually have a job. The Patriots released Brown and made him a free agent once again, so can he technically quit?
prevnextyou can’t fire me i quit https://t.co/v0gcpviBi6
— mansur🕊️ (@MansurShaheen) September 22, 2019
Brown may be dominating storylines on Sunday morning, but there are many that simply are over the entire discussion. He's not active or on any of the 32 NFL teams, so it's time to focus on something else. Chase Ingraham, owner of Crossfit Big D in Texas, doesn't really care that Brown is calling it quits.
— Chase Ingraham (@CaptAmericaXfit) September 22, 2019prevnext
Brown has been spending his Sunday morning firing off Tweets about Robert Kraft, Ben Roethlisberger, Shannon Sharpe, and all of the NFL owners. It's been a wild start to the day that was headlined by him saying that he is done with football. How do those around Brown feel about his morning?
prevnextAB’s lawyer right now pic.twitter.com/EoeFocujuN
— Nick Maraldo (@nickmaraldo) September 22, 2019
The NFL fans are simply over the drama surrounding Brown. Yes, they understand that he is upset about losing all of the guaranteed money, but they are in shock that the former Patriots receiver feels that he is blameless in the entire discussion.
prevnextAlways playing the victim
— Pat (@alienbeermaster) September 22, 2019
Brown may be very frustrated that he missed out on tons of guaranteed cash, but the NFL fans don't feel his pain. As many pointed out on Twitter, getting paid is a very simple process. As an employee of the Patriots or Raiders, there was a very clear set of expectations, and Brown just needed to meet those.
prevnextMost jobs/professions/organizations tend not to pay when you don’t actually show up to do the work you signed up for... this isn’t a @NFLPA issue
— Patrick O'Keefe (@pokeefe0406) September 22, 2019
Brown has declared that he is done with the NFL. He is walking away from football because he is frustrated with the team owners and their ability to take away his guaranteed money. He doesn't technically have a job at this moment after being released by the Patriots, but Brown is not letting those details get in the way. Of course, football fans are less concerned about why Brown is calling it quits than they are about how he reacted after making this decision. Did he run around his yard flapping his wings like he did when the Raiders cut him?
prevBut did he run around and celebrate?
— Nigel De Souza (@nigel_souza) September 22, 2019