Former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown doesn’t seem too happy about new RB/KR Cordarrelle Patterson being assigned No. 84. Brown tweeted his displeasure on Thursday.
“May have to retire a Raider #84,” he tweeted in response to the Steelers announcing new jersey numbers.
Brown later followed it up with a more conciliatory tone, encouraging the team to retire more than the three jerseys they have: DTs Ernie Stautner and Joe Greene along with RB Franco Harris.
No one has worn No. 84 in a regular-season game since Brown in 2018, and given how his tenure in Pittsburgh ended, it was never going to be a number that the Steelers retired, officially or unofficially. Patterson has worn No. 84 his entire NFL career, and despite tweeting a poll with potential options for a new number, he decided to stick with 84 and will more than likely become the first player since Brown to wear the number in a game.
The Raider quip is because the Steelers traded Brown to the Raiders after the 2018 season, as Brown requested a trade because he wanted to win a Super Bowl and didn’t feel that would happen in Pittsburgh. However, he never suited up for the Raiders, forcing his way out of town before the season started. He would eventually latch on with the New England Patriots before getting cut after one game, but he eventually did get a ring while a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
At this point, Brown has basically retired anyway, and I don’t think anyone is concerned about what team he retires with. He can decide what team he wants to go into the Pro Football Hall of Fame with if he ever gets inducted, but despite his prolific peak, his off-the-field attitude and issues make it unlikely that Brown is inducted down the line.
While Patterson won’t have the same role as a superstar receiver that Brown did, he’ll be an important piece for the Steelers as a kick returner and depth at running back and potentially receiver as well. Patterson is one of the best kick returners in NFL history, and with the new NFL kickoff rules, the play is once again important, and Patterson should help bolster the Steelers in that regard.
Early in his career, Brown served as a returner for the Steelers, returning four punts and one kick to the house for Pittsburgh. The hope is that Patterson, wearing the same number, will have the same level of success on special teams that Brown did early in his career.
