Antonio Brown is still waiting for an opportunity to sign with a team with Week 3 of the NFL season underway. With the All-Pro receiver set to serve the third week of his suspension, a surprise team could at least be interested in the All-Pro talent.
Brown, who last played briefly for the New England Patriots during the 2019 season, is currently serving an eight-game suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy. After drawing interest from the Seattle Seahawks early this summer, the 32-year-old may now be on the radar of another NFL team.
NFL rumors: Texans interested in Antonio Brown?
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, a source close to Brown disclosed that the Houston Texans have shown the most active interest in the star receiver. While a bunch of teams have looked into Brown, Houston is ‘poking around’ the possibility of eventually adding Brown.
Unsurprisingly, the situation with Brown can change at any moment. He retired in the middle of the offseason then unretired days later and demanded the NFL end its investigation into his behavior. When the league announced his eight-game ban, many thought it would only be a matter of time until the Seahawks or Baltimore Ravens signed him.
The Texans are a particularly interesting fit for Brown, given general manager/head coach Bill O’Brien’s reputation. He had issues with All-Pro receiver DeAndre Hopkins and traded Deshaun Watson’s top weapon away for very little in return.
Sitting at 0-2, with the real chance of falling to 0-3 after Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Houston needs to make a big move. Brown wouldn’t be able to play immediately, but he would add a legitimate No. 1 receiver who could get open and make plays for Watson.
When O’Brien was asked about the possibility of signing Brown on Friday, he didn’t exactly rule it out. However, the situation isn’t quite so simple. Even with Brown’s undeniable All-Pro talents, there is real risk for any team that signs him.
Will Antonio Brown play in the NFL this season?
Many have expected that Brown would return to the NFL for the 2020 season, especially once the NFL finally determined his suspension. At one point, it was even viewed as inevitable that he would sign with the Seahawks. With Seattle reportedly now out on him, Brown’s chances to play this season look murky.
Brown’s ongoing suspension may not even be the only discipline he faces from the NFL. He went through a turbulent year, that included accusations of sexual misconduct by two separate women and he was caught harassing the second on social media. Brown also pleaded “no contest” to assault charges from an incident with a truck driver at his Florida home in January.
The NFL is still conducting its investigation into accusations from Brown’s former trainer Britney Taylor. She accused Brown of sexual misconduct and when the two sides were close to settling the case in July, Brown backed out for the second time.
A second suspension would certainly lead to Brown missing the entire 2020 season, which is a key issue organizations must weight before signing him. The talent is undeniable, but the dangers of losing him in an instant to another suspension make this a delicate situation. It also doesn’t help that Brown’s asking price is scaring teams away, especially since he will ultimately need to settle for a team-friendly deal if he wants to play in the NFL again.