Former Patriots WR Antonio Brown: Cleats For Beats?

Former NFL and New England Patriots wideout Antonio Brown is back in the news. But he's not wearing cleats and catching passes, he's on stage - performing - kind of.

AB went from being the best WR in the NFL…to this. This is sad dude. https://t.co/ytLWQrhFwo
— taylornicole (@ay_taybay) July 23, 2022

Reaction on Twitter was mixed, from sentiments of it being "sad" to his performance being "one of the best songs an athlete has ever put out."

Y'all hating...

This is probably one of the best song an athlete has ever put out.

Just to be clear i'm only comparing to other Athletes only...
— Ten Opp (@supreme_chief1) July 23, 2022

Others wonder if his decision to leave football was worth it.

Brown's story is a familiar one to anybody who has paid attention to the NFL over the last few years, as his off-the-field antics frequently outshined his on-the-field performances.

A public feud in 2018 with his original team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, landed him in Las Vegas via trade the next season. After never playing a down for the Raiders and another public run-in with his football bosses, Brown was fined and released.

The following day Brown signed a one-year deal with the Patriots worth up to $15 million.

After one game, two catches for 56 yards, and a rushing touchdown, Brown was cut by the Patriots amid allegations of sexual and personal misconduct.

Brown then moved on to Tampa Bay where he signed a one-year deal in October of 2020. There, he was reunited with his former Pittsburgh offensive coordinator, Bruce Arians, who was the head coach for the Buccaneers.

After winning a Super Bowl with the Bucs in 2020, Brown returned to Tampa in 2021 and played eight games after serving a suspension. In Week 17 he walked off the field mid-game, stripping his jersey and walking into the locker room.

Brown then accused the organization and his head coach, Arians, of engaging in a cover-up and hiding injury information.

The ex-Patriot is 34 years old and it appears his football career may be over. Is his music career just beginning?

You can follow Timm Hamm on Twitter at @IndyCarTim