The split between Antonio Brown and the Pittsburgh Steelers marked the end of a dazzling QB-WR partnership that had NFL fans on the edge of their seats for nearly a decade. With Ben Roethlisberger as his signal caller, AB seemed unstoppable. Now, in a surprising twist, Brown has pulled back the curtain during a recent appearance on “The Pivot Podcast,” on how Big Ben actually kickstarted his career.
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NFL enthusiasts still remember AB’s dramatic exit from the Pittsburgh Steelers before their do-or-die Week 17 clash with the Bengals in 2018. Antonio apparently clashed with Roethlisberger, missing multiple meetings and practices, and consequently never donning the black and gold again.
But fast forward five years, Brown has a different tune altogether, crediting Big Ben for convincing then-offensive coordinator Bruce Arians to give him a starting shot.
“Ben the only reason I started starting for the Steelers,” Brown revealed. “He had to tell Bruce Arians, ‘Yo, I need AB at the X. Let him run these plays.’“
Brown didn’t pull any punches and claimed Arians had kept him on the bench for years. “Ryan Clark knows my relationship with Bruce Arians. Bruce tried to hold me back for years,” Brown added, with Clark nodding in agreement, “It was a while.”
Once he cracked the lineup, though, Brown was a force of nature, shattering records left and right. His eight-year run with the Steelers, racking up 837 catches, 11,207 receiving yards, and 74 touchdowns, stands as one of the most dominant stretches for any wideout in NFL history.
No wonder this revelation has fans buzzing with excitement and wondering what might have been if things had played out differently.
NFL Fans React After Brown’s Admission
Antonio Brown’s appearance on “The Pivot” podcast has set the internet ablaze, now having over half a million views. Several NFL fans are tipping their hats to Ben Roethlisberger, who spotted Brown’s potential early on and went to bat for him with Bruce Arians.
One fan chimed in, “Ben turned a lot of WRs into temporary stars, that’s what elite QBs do,” while another added, “Ben made so many receivers look better than they actually were in his career, just look at JuJu’s stats before Ben got injured.”
Ben turned a lot of WRs into temporary stars, that’s what elite QBs do
— Mr Unlimmmited (@chris_ferland) June 19, 2024
Wasn’t he talking bad about Big Ben before? The CTE is real with this one
— mofongopapi (@l15767) June 19, 2024
Some fans played the what-if game, with one musing, “Take away AB’s CTE and he would be a hall of famer, never left Pit and he would be loved by the Steelers like the Patriots love Brady.” But not everyone was buying AB’s change of tune.
A few skeptics pointed out, “And AB turned on him calling him a racist and shit,” and “Wasn’t he talking bad about Big Ben before? The CTE is real with this one.”
Take away ABs CTE and he would be a hall of famer, never left pit and he would be loved by the Steelers like the patriots love Brady
— GRVTY (@Blastoise942) June 19, 2024
And AB turned on him calling him a racist and shit.
— jack (@NakedSnowNinja) June 19, 2024
No wonder, it was such a twist of irony that Antonio Brown got another shot with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers under none other than Bruce Arians, and that too resulted in a Super Bowl win. However, it was that one last dramatic exit that AB took from the NFL that never saw him come back.
Brown stormed off the field shirtless during Week 17 at MetLife Stadium in 2021. The Bucs cut ties shortly after, making that shirtless spectacle Brown’s NFL swan song.
