Antonio Brown believes his former teammate, James Harrison gave him CTE, and he went live on Instagram to tell the world as much. The revelation came unexpectedly, and since Brown has been adamant since he departed from the NFL that he cannot know if he has CTE until his brain can be examined, after death, his latest rant is surprising.
Brown believes he got CTE from a hit compliments of former teammate, Steelers linebacker James Harrison.
Former #Steelers WR Antonio Brown claims LB James Harrison gave him CTE after hitting him with his helmet. (@BlitzGuyOG)
"Ever since he hit me I've been super aggressive. So blame James Harrison for my CTE." pic.twitter.com/vy8PR9YNuI
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) February 4, 2023
Did James Harrison Give Antonio Brown CTE?
“I wanted to tell you guys that I think James Harrison gave me CTE,” Brown said. “James Harrison had an illegal helmet for over 20 years in the NFL and he hit me one time. And ever since he hit me I’ve been super aggressive. So blame James Harrison for my CTE.”
During the IG Live session, fans wrote concerned and speculatory comments like, “Dude what’s going on” and “AB on drugs.” For many, Brown’s behavior has been erratic for years, and with no other explanation, many have speculated that he is suffering from some form of head trauma.
Harrison heard the chatter and returned with a perfectly calm tweet and meme.
Me realizing why I had 150 text messages this morning. 🤯😂 pic.twitter.com/KmfYilqpbG
— James Harrison (@jharrison9292) February 4, 2023
“Me realizing why I had 150 text messages this morning, Harrison added a head-blown along with a crying laughing emoji. The tweet featured a meme of actor Idris Elba’s shocked reaction to a chicken wing hot sauce challenge leaving him speechless.
AB Confusing James Harrison With Vontaze Burfict?
Many believe Brown is confusing training with Harrison to a devastating hit he received from Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict. During a 2016 wild card round matchup between the Bengals and the Steelers, Burfict delivered a high impact to Brown’s head late in the fourth quarter on an incomplete pass. As a result, Brown suffered a concussion from the play, with Burfict receiving a personal-foul penalty.
The Steelers ultimately won the game 18-16.
The NFL subsequently suspended Burfict for three games after the hit with the league citing “repeated violations of safety-related playing rules” when they handed down the penalty. Burfict had multiple penalties that year and paid a few fines for his hard hits. It is not an uncommon practice.
NFL’s Hardest Hitters: James Harrison
Harrison was the NFL’s boogeyman of hits in 2010 when he drew four fines totaling $125,000 for nasty hits. The NFL’s focus on player safety, Harrison, along with other former players like Ryan Clark, Brandon Meriweather, and still active Ndamukong Suh, built reputations as the most fined players in the league. Both Clark and Harrison were teammates of Antonio Brown.
The life choices of AB are always questionable as he has seemingly gone more and more extreme over the years. Most recently, he posted a sexually explicit photo to Snapchat on Tuesday, Jan. 17. The woman in the picture, Chelsie Kyriss, shares children with Brown and has had issues with him.
Antonio Brown Posts Sexually Explicit Photo On Snapchat | 2023 Same Ol’ AB
Last year, his primary target was his former teammate Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Tom Brady, and his ex-wife, Gisele Bündchen. “AB” poked the bear at Brady’s crumbling marriage, posting suggestive imagery that appeared to show his relationship with Bündchen as something more than cordial or professional.
As Antonio Brown’s journey unfolds, it seems even he is trying to get to the bottom of his behavior. James Harrison never imagined he would be thought to be the cause of it.
