Ex-Steelers All-Pro Reveals Shocking Path to Starter

The Pittsburgh Steelers have always embraced a high-risk, high-reward strategy when it comes to drafting wide receivers, a philosophy once emphasized by former head coach Bruce Arians.

The Steelers’ Reputation for Drafting Bold Receivers

Recent picks like Diontae Johnson and George Pickens have proven valuable for the six-time Super Bowl champions. However, no player epitomizes the risk-reward nature of this strategy more than Antonio Brown, a four-time First-Team All-Pro and Super Bowl LV champion.

Brown spent nine seasons with the Steelers, earning Pro Bowl selections in seven of them, including six consecutive seasons from 2013-2018 where he recorded over 1,250 yards each year. Had he not requested a trade that sent him to the Oakland Raiders, he might have surpassed Hines Ward’s record for the most receiving yards in franchise history, trailing by just 876 yards entering the 2019 season.

Antonio Brown’s Post-NFL Life

Since leaving the Steelers, Brown won a Super Bowl with Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He also launched the CTESPN webpage, a satirical response to media portrayals of him as a former NFL player suffering from CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy) due to his erratic behavior.

Lately, Brown has been sharing surprising anecdotes about his early days with the Steelers. On the Pivot Podcast, he credited quarterback Ben Roethlisberger for his opportunity to start with the first team.

Roethlisberger’s Influence on Brown’s Career

Brown revealed that Roethlisberger insisted to then-head coach Bruce Arians that Brown should start, saying, “Ben Roethlisberger is the only reason I even started starting for the Steelers. He literally had to go tell Bruce Arians, ‘I need AB at the X.'”

This is unexpected given the eventual tension between Brown and Roethlisberger. It’s also surprising that Arians, a highly regarded offensive coach, needed persuasion to play Brown, who would become one of the best receivers in the Steelers’ 91-year history.

This story highlights Roethlisberger’s keen eye for talent and Arians’ trust in his quarterback’s judgment, which ultimately paid off for the team. Whether this is the last positive comment Brown makes about his former teammate remains to be seen, but it underscores the significant role Roethlisberger played in Brown’s career success.