Over the past three years or so, people around the NFL have discussed Antonio Brown's situation.
Once known and respected for his contributions to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Brown suddenly started acting up and became the league's most controversial player, starring in countless controversies on and off the field.
Most analysts and even some of his colleagues believe that he's just another victim of CTE. He, however, refuses to acknowledge that he could be dealing with mental health issues.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers cut ties with him after he left mid-game. Even so, Bruce Arians and Tom Brady shared their concerns on his mental health.
Still, Brown affirms there's nothing wrong with him other than his 'high IQ', claiming that he's never been diagnosed for anything:
“I never had a mental health diagnosis,” Brown said. “I never had an issue or problem. I don’t take pills. I just got a high IQ.”
Brown admits that he once tried to get therapy. Unfortunately, he just failed to connect with his therapist and saw it as a waste of time, so he quit:
"I tried it through the NFL, but I don't really got [sic] time to consult with random people, I don't know about my mental space or how I look at things," Brown said. "Most of the people from different forms of the world. Like, I'm from the pit. Most of the people we talk to, they from the palace. So how your lenses look at life is not how mines [sic] is."
Per Brown, the Bucs even offered him $200,000 to pay for therapy but he declined their offer, threatening to pursue legal action against them for the defamatory nature of that proposal:
“All of our options are on the table," Brown's lawyer Sean Burstyn said. "We’re going to hold to account the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Bruce Arians, the general manager to the extent anyone who’s responsible for this spin that Antonio isn’t reliable to do a good job playing football because he doesn’t have the mental fortitude to do it. They’ll be held to account."
Hopefully, Brown is indeed healthy. Football has taken a toll on so many people's mental health that you never want to see another victim. Then again, if that's the case, then there's no excuse for his erratic and often volatile behavior.
