Stephen A. Smith says he thinks Antonio Brown developed CTE when Vontaze Burfict violently tackled him during a game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals back in 2016. He shared his theory while speaking with Fat Joe and Jadakiss on their Joe and Jada podcast. The discussion comes after Brown pleaded not guilty to attempted murder, earlier this month.
“Personally, I think that’s what Antonio Brown is going through,” Smith said after mentioning CTE during the interview. “That’s why he got arrested in Dubai. He hasn’t been the same since that hit with Vontaze Burfict when he was a Pittsburgh Steeler. His whole body seized up like Rigamortis.”
“Remember when he was on the Raiders? I said, 'Ladies and gentlemen, it’s Thursday. They got a Monday Night Football game. All he has to do is play and shut the f*ck up, and by Tuesday afternoon, he’s guaranteed 29 million,'” Smith continued, as caught by Complex. “He opened his mouth anyway, and they cut him before Tuesday."
Brown previously downplayed the severity of Burfict's infamous hit while reflecting on it in 2020. “He didn't hit me that hard,” he said at the time. “You know, I got up and walked off the field. We won the game, right? I was alright.”
Antonio Brown's Attempted Murder Case
Antonio Brown finally pleaded not guilty to attempted murder, earlier this month, after spending the last four-and-a-half months in the United Arab Emirates. Back in May, police accused him of allegedly firing two shots at a man he had gotten into an argument with after a celebrity boxing match.
The former NFL star's lawyer, Mark Eiglarsh, argued that Brown was acting in self-defense in a statement provided to ESPN. "The actions he was forced to take were solely in self-defense against the alleged victim's violent behavior. Brown was attacked that night and acted within his legal right to protect himself," Eiglarsh wrote. Brown ended up getting out of jail on a $25,000 bond.
