Antonio Brown is headed back to Pittsburgh later this season, and the former Steelers star will do it as the Terrible Tailgate Guest on Nov. 27 when the team hosts the Denver Broncos in a Black Friday matinee in Week 12.
It’s a notable return for Brown, who hasn’t made many trips back to the city since the Steelers traded him to the Oakland Raiders in March 2019. He’ll be on the North Shore for a matchup that already carries plenty of weight, with Pittsburgh and Denver both sitting at 6-2.
Brown’s Steelers run began with a sixth-round selection out of Central Michigan in the 2010 NFL Draft, and he wasted little time making an impact. As a rookie, he put up 167 yards for a Pittsburgh team that eventually fell to Aaron Rodgers, Mike McCarthy and the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XLV.
His production climbed quickly after that. Brown finished with 1,108 yards in 2011, earning his first Pro Bowl nod, then followed a quieter 2012 by his standards with a big rebound in 2013: 1,499 yards, eight touchdowns, another Pro Bowl trip and second-team All-Pro honors.
The stretch from 2014 through 2017 is where Brown separated himself from just about everyone else. Over those four seasons, he piled up 6,349 yards and 44 touchdowns on 472 catches, leading the NFL in all three categories over that span. He was a first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowler each year, and he finished second in AP Offensive Player of the Year voting three times.
Brown’s final year in Pittsburgh came in 2018, when he posted 1,297 yards and a league-best 15 touchdowns while making his fifth straight Pro Bowl.
His exit from the Steelers ended badly, with the relationship between Brown and the organization seemingly falling apart. Even so, his place in franchise history is secure. He remains one of the best players to ever wear a Steelers uniform and was arguably the NFL’s top wide receiver for much of his Pittsburgh tenure.
Brown’s playing career ended in 2021, making him eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2027. Whether he gets in is another question. His peak in the mid-2010s is one of the most impressive receiver runs of the era, and the résumé is there, but his off-field issues could slow the path to Canton.
A Hall of Fame future is still possible. A first-ballot nod, though, looks unlikely.
In Other News...
Steelers Player Christian Kuntz Just Earned Recognition Pittsburgh Fans Will Love
Christian Kuntz has built a reputation in Pittsburgh that reaches well beyond his work as the Steelers long snapper. Since taking over the role in 2021, he has used his platform to stay active in the community, and his foundation, Kuntz 4 Ki6s, has helped raise meaningful funds for local families while supporting underserved youth through events and partnerships.
This week, that off-field commitment earned him another round of recognition from around the league. Kuntz was named the NFLPAs Week 9 Community MVP after a donation that helped open a new resource room at Pittsburgh Morrow, a project aimed at giving students and families a more reliable place to turn for support. For Steelers fans, it is the kind of honor that fits the way Kuntz has carried himself in the city since arriving on the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Could Move A Veteran Piece Fans Did Not Expect
Cole Holcomb has been more of a familiar face on special teams than a fixture on defense this season, and that alone has made him an interesting name to watch as the trade deadline approaches. Albert Breer of SI.com raised the possibility that the Steelers could consider moving the veteran linebacker, a reminder that roster decisions in-season are often shaped as much by depth and role as by headline production.
Detroit has surfaced as a logical place to keep an eye on, given the Lions need at inside linebacker after a major injury to Jack Campbell. For Pittsburgh, Holcombs value goes beyond the box score, but the question now is whether a contender in need will view him as enough of a fit to make the Steelers seriously weigh a deal. [Read more 🡒]
George Pickens Situation Suddenly Looks Worth Watching For Steelers Fans
George Pickens is back in the conversation, and for Steelers fans, it is the kind of familiar name that tends to draw a second look. The receiver is now in Dallas on the franchise tag, and his role there has not matched the kind of usage he saw last season, which has only added to the sense that his situation deserves monitoring as the season rolls on.
The wrinkle for Pittsburgh is less about a reunion fantasy and more about the reminder of why the Steelers moved on in the first place. Even if Pickens were to surface as a trade possibility, the old questions would still be there, and the sense around the league is that Pittsburgh would be unlikely to circle back for a long-term answer. [Read more 🡒]