The Pittsburgh Steelers made a rather uncharacteristic signing in late August of 2017 after cornerback, Joe Haden was surprisingly cut from the Cleveland Browns' roster at the end of training camp. The organization jumped on the opportunity to sign him very soon after he was released. Haden put together an extremely strong five seasons in Pittsburgh to end his career. He spent the first seven years with the Browns after being drafted seventh overall in the 2010 NFL Draft. Another guy drafted the same year, but much later, was Steelers' dominant pass catcher, Antonio Brown, who was picked up 195th overall in the sixth round.
The two 2017 draftees would spend years going at it against one another. Brown had an insane four-game stretch against Cleveland spanning over three seasons from 2014 to 2016. He had 35 receptions, 560 yards receiving and four touchdowns. Haden was active for three of the four games in this timeframe and was one of the main defenders in charge of attempting to contain Brown.
Throughout his entire career, the now-disgruntled receiver, had 101 catches, 1,479 yards and 10 touchdowns against Cleveland. He had such a solid 14-game career against them that if it were a season standing alone, he would have been a surefire Pro Bowler. Brown especially made things tough on the division rivals that finished at the bottom of the grouping for the majority of his Steelers' career.
Fans rooting against Pittsburgh most likely despised the undeniable connection that Brown had with future Hall of Fame quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger. The duo was almost unstoppable from 2013 to 2018 and the Browns organization was one of the most taken advantage of out of all teams in the entire league. It's no wonder Haden is commending the former Steelers' wide receiver in 2023.
Steelers Former Star In Brown Lands At The Top Of His Former Rival Turned Teammate's Elite List
During an appearance on NFL Live on Tuesday, the now-retired Haden discussed his playing career and focused a little bit on the most difficult wide receivers he had to cover while in the NFL. The aforementioned Brown topped the list.
Not only did Haden have to go up against Brown when Pittsburgh and Cleveland faced off from 2010 to 2016, but they would also go head to head in training camp and at practice once Haden came to town. Haden is one of dozens of cornerbacks who have lost to Brown over the years and some of the footage can be quite embarrassing for Haden.
Brown landing ahead of names like Calvin Johnson and Julio Jones is incredibly impressive, especially coming from a guy who played in the league for 12 seasons. It's safe to say that the wide receiver second on the Steelers all-time receiving list would be at the top of multiple current and former NFL cornerbacks' lists. He was not an easy guy to limit on the field.
The irony of the two's relationship is that they had a legitimate stretch going against one another consistently for nine years up as foes and then as teammates until Brown's demise began at the end of the 2018 season. No one can ever doubt how talented and dynamic Brown was on the field. His elite footwork and route-running skills will not soon be forgotten. Haden, a three-time Pro Bowler, giving his stamp of approval should come as no surprise.
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