Unemployed wide receiver Antonio Brown hopes to return to the NFL in 2020, and he has one high-profile former teammate in his corner.
Brown called himself the “cancer of the NFL” following his arrest in January, and still faces an ongoing NFL investigation into allegations of rape and sexual misconduct. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said before the Super Bowl that he hopes Brown can get “on the right track,” but did not give an update on the investigation.
Brown was dropped by his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, but hasn’t given up on a return to the league, and is constantly sharing footage of his workouts on social media.
On Friday, Brown shared an apologetic message on Twitter, writing that he “forgot about hard work and grace” during his lost year in the league.
Former teammate Tom Brady responded to Brown’s tweet with a single heart emoji. Though Brady and Brown only played together for a short time, they seemed to develop a meaningful bond during that time. Brady offered to let Brown stay at his home after the Patriots acquired him, and Brown has posted several pictures of Brady on his Instagram account since his departure from the league. In January, Brown said that he wants to be on Brady’s team in 2020.
While it’s great that Brady wants to support a fellow athlete who is trying to get his life in order, it’s very interesting that Brady chose to do so publicly and not privately, as rumors continue to circulate over his future in the NFL. Brady knows that every tweet and public appearance of his is going to spark endless speculation on football Twitter.
Brown has already made it clear that he wants to follow Brady wherever he plays – assuming the NFL allows him to. Is Brady signaling that he’d welcome Brown, and the media circus (and rightful criticism) that he’d bring? Brady is set to become a free agent on March 18th, so we may find out soon.
