One of the most compelling and sober commentators this offseason on The Antonio Brown Situation™ has been Hall of Fame wide receiver Cris Carter. He is a player who arguably went through some similar experiences and had to learn lessons the hard way, while also being one of the greats, so perhaps watching Brown act hits close to home.
Whatever the reason, it has produced some quality monologues over the past couple of months, with the latest coming yesterday in the wake of Brown’s ESPN interview, and focusing on Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald also saying that he wouldn’t have gone about his issues with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the same way.
“Nobody in the recent history, especially as a wide receiver, has a better reputation amongst the players and amongst front office people and coaches than Larry Fitzgerald. So you’re talking about a respect factor”, Carter said. “Larry Fitzgerald, if he speaks out against me, man, that would cause me pause”.
While Fitzgerald didn’t necessarily come down hard on “Mr. Big Chest”, the fact that he said anything at all was significant, even if it was only after being asked about it, because that is not typically his approach. But he considers Brown a friend, and perhaps that drove him to say something as well.
“Not only has he had the most respected player of this generation that we’ve seen, Larry Fitzgerald, say negative things, and now he’s disrespecting the ownership of the Pittsburgh Steelers”, Carter said, referring to Brown’s refusal to talk to the team, which resulted in Art Rooney II and others having to fly down to Florida to meet with him.
“He don’t have no respect for the game. Guy talks about having $30 million. You 30 years old. You think that’s enough to get you to the grave? There’s all kinds of horrible stories about athletes being broke, fool. That ain’t a whole bunch of money in the reach world”.
Obviously Carter wasn’t a big fan of Brown’s ESPN interview—at least not as much as Jeff Darlington was. Brown spent a lot of that interview talking about having grown up in the Liberty City area of Miami, but Carter wasn’t impressed. “I know where you come from. I know your story”, he said. “So it’s amazing to me how much he’s changed as a person”.
It seems as though the Steelers are on the verge of finding a trading partner for Brown, perhaps as early as this week, but hopefully at least by March 17. Carter believes Brown ought to be careful what he asks for, lest he actually gets it.
“What he’s done to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Mike Tomlin, and the Rooneys, that’s the reason why I believe this will not end well for him”, he said. One of the top targets seems to be the Oakland Raiders, where he would be working with Derek Carr. How’s the wifi out west?
