If Antonio Brown didn't say it himself, it might be near impossible to believe.
News broke on Thursday that the Pittsburgh Steelers will sign Aaron Rodgers to a one-year deal ahead of mandatory minicamp, which begins next week.
On the heels of that report, Brown told MLFootball that he spoke with Rodgers in February and the two discussed the wide receiver's return to the NFL, specifically as a member of the Steelers.
"BREAKING: 7x Pro Bowl WR Antonio Brown says that new #Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers asked him in February if he would be interested in playing again for Pittsburgh, @AB84 tells @_MLFootball," the aggregator posted on his X account. "Brown, 36, a future Hall of Famer, is still in elite football shape and works out daily."
BREAKING: 7x Pro Bowl WR Antonio Brown says that new #Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers asked him in February if he would be interested in playing again for Pittsburgh, @AB84 tells @_MLFootball.
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) June 5, 2025
Brown, 36, a future Hall of Famer, is still in elite football shape and works out daily. pic.twitter.com/YN9Cs8ItyR
Brown reposted the initial report from MLFootball, confirming it via his own official X account.
Rodgers has not mentioned anything publicly about playing alongside Brown in Pittsburgh, either before or after the news of his deal with the Steelers broke on Thursday.
Brown played 12 seasons in the NFL, including nine in Pittsburgh where he was one of the best pass catchers in the league. The wideout earned Pro-Bowl honors seven times during his tenure with the Steelers and All-Pro honors on five occasions.
He also led the league in receiving yards twice, receptions twice and receiving touchdowns once during his tenure in the AFC North Division.
Brown left the Steelers under strained circumstances, after which it became clear that he had personality clashes with multiple key members of the organization, including head coach Mike Tomlin.
We asked Mike Tomlin about Antonio Brown offering to come back and play for the @Steelers for free #NFL #SteelersvsBrowns #SteelersNation pic.twitter.com/32fFitqfX8
— Sports Steady Tv (@SportsSteadyTV) November 22, 2024
In November 2024, Brown announced that he would play for the Steelers for free given the opportunity. A reporter asked Tomlin for his thoughts on those comments during a press conference, and the coach's response was simply to turn and walk away from the podium with no verbal response.
Brown went on to play in three more seasons in the NFL after departing Pittsburgh following the 2018 campaign — one for the New England Patriots and two for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, though he appeared in just 16 games total across those years.
Brown has not played in the NFL since 2021. He has also dealt with multiple off-field issues, including with the law, since his career in professional sports ended four years ago. Brown filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May 2024.
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