Analyst believes controversial wide receiver is surefire Hall of Famer

Antonio Brown is one of the more fascinating stories of the past decade, with an incredible rise to stardom and a quick fall. But is he a Hall of Famer? One former Super Bowl champion and analyst thinks so.

"I say this and I mean it," ESPN's Ryan Clark posted on platform X. "[Antonio Brown] is a hall of Famer. I don't think he gets in on the First Ballot because we know how that goes, but for a period he was one of the "greatest" to ever do it."

Brown was arguably the best receiver in the league for over half a decade and may have been on pace to become the best ever. He posted six straight seasons with 100+ catches and 1,200+ yards and landed at No. 2 on the Steelers' all-time receiving yards list.

But his Pittsburgh career ended abruptly ahead of the team's 2018 season finale. Brown had reportedly gotten into a heated disagreement with a teammate and missed meetings and practices that week. 

One of Brown's former teammates told ESPN issues between Brown and the team had been "brewing for years," but head coach Mike Tomlin had let a lot slide because AB was one of the league's most productive offensive players. 

The Steelers made him an inactive for the game, and the following season, they traded Brown to the Raiders. But his stint in Oakland didn't last long. 

Brown missed 10 of the Raiders' 11 training camp practices with frostbitten feet due to not wearing proper footwear during a cryotherapy session and threatened to retire after losing two grievances to continue wearing his old helmet even though it was banned.

Brown then confronted general manager Mike Mayock and had a verbal altercation where he reportedly had to be "held back by a couple of teammates." He was released by the team shortly after.

On the same day he was released by the Raiders, Brown joined the Patriots on a one-year deal. However, he was cut by the team after further allegations of sexual and personal misconduct came out against him. Brown has just four catches for 56 yards and a touchdown in one game with New England.

He was then suspended for the first eight weeks of the 2020 NFL season for multiple violations of the league's personal conduct policy. But the Buccaneers took a flier on the talented wide receiver, and it certainly paid dividends.

Brown helped Tampa Bay win Super Bowl LV, further cementing his case for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. If he was missing anything, it was a ring, and that was no longer the case.

Brown returned to the Buccaneers the following season, but in Week 17, he took his jersey, shoulder pads, gloves and shirt off and ran off the field into the locker room during a game against the Jets. Head coach Bruce Arians said Brown "is no longer a Buc" in a postgame press conference and the mercurial wide receiver hasn't played since.

Brown has the 21st-most receptions (928), the 24th-most receiving yards (12,291) and the 25th-most receiving touchdowns (83) in NFL history.