3 NFL stars who borrowed from the Kyrie Irving playbook
Kyrie Irving recently made major headlines once again. He forced his way off yet another NBA team, demanding to be traded from the Brooklyn Nets. This resulted in him being acquired by the Dallas Mavericks.
Irving has often been the subject of negative media attention for many controversial events during his career. This isn't the first time he has forced his way off a team. He arrived at the Brooklyn Nets similar to the way he left, by demanding to be let go by his previous team, the Boston Celtics, ditching them in free agency after making long-term verbal commitments.
The Celtics weren't the first to be on the receiving end of his antics either. He also forced his way off the Cleveland Cavaliers, the team that selected him in the NBA draft. Kyrie Irving has basically left every team he's ever been with in a dysfunctional way.
Kyrie Irving timeline since 2021 (Prior to today's trade). https://t.co/XhHFXQd4Fi
In addition to the forced exits, Kyrie Irving has established himself as one of the most controversial players in the NBA. Some of the examples include refusing the COVID-19 vaccine, anti-semitic comments and supporting the flat Earth theory. He has also consistently bashed former teams and teammates he has played with.
Kyrie Irving's controversial nature and the media circus that sometimes comes along with it aren't necessarily fully unique in their nature. Players from other sports have endured similar self-destructive narratives.
Here are three NFL players who have gone down a similar road for one reason or another.
#1 Terrell Owens
While Terrell Owens is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, his path was filled with controversy. Owens rarely stayed with the same NFL team for long as he reportedly often feuded with teammates and filled the locker rooms with drama.
The most notable public feud of Owens' career was with Donovan McNabb. Owens consistently blamed his quarterback for their shortcomings and criticized him publicly, including after the defeat by the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. Like Kyrie Irving, Owens also forced his way off several NFL teams and demanded to be traded more than once.
#2 Antonio Brown
Antonio Brown is one of the most controversial players in NFL history for his seemingly endless list of antics. He may be the NFL player most comparable to Kyrie Irving.
It all started with the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he publicly and aggressively demanded a trade. He also bashed quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to the media many times.
Brown's antics continued with the Las Vegas Raiders as he reportedly fought with coaches and staff members while being a constant issue off the field. He later joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where his controversies continued.
This included various legal issues and falsifying his vaccination status, among other things. He also publicly criticized the organization upon his exit, after storming off the field during a game and disappearing in a taxi.
#3 Brett Favre
Brett Favre spent most of his career with the Green Bay Packers. His controversial events mostly occurred near the backend of his time with the team, especially after they drafted Aaron Rodgers in 2005. He infamously stated publicly that he wasn't interested in mentoring the young quarterback and became frustrated at his eventual replacement.
Favre publicly debated retirement several times before eventually deciding to do so. When the Packers named Rodgers their starter moving forward, Favre changed his mind and said he was returning.
When the Packers denied Favre his position back, he became infuriated and demanded a trade, while publicly bashing the franchise. He was traded to the New York Jets, retried again, changed his mind again, and eventually joined the Minnesota Vikings.