"He acts like a child" - Shannon Sharpe believes Antonio Brown's mental health is not a reason for his behavior
Antonio Brown continues to do a media tour following his abrupt and dramatic departure from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The main topic of conversation now has to do with the status of his mental health.
A quick search of his name on Twitter will quickly reveal fans and analysts speculating about his mental well-being. Brown has repeatedly said that he is doing just fine and that he stormed off the field only because Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians told him to leave and was being unprofessional.
That take had Shannon Sharpe frustrated on a recent episode of Undisputed. He and Skip Bayless discussed the receiver, and Sharpe ended up agreeing with him.
"AB is absolutely right, Sharpe said. "I don't agree with anything AB normally says, but I don't believe anything is wrong with AB, I just believe AB's behavior has been fostered by things that have happened because he's a great player. And they let this behavior go for so long that he can't control it.
"He acts likes a child, Skip. He reacts in a way that he's comfortable with or like if I do this, I'll get this lollipop or if I do this, I'll get this game or I get this ice cream. AB says if I lash out, they'll throw me this ball. I'll get my targets and that's what we have here. I agree with AB, I don't believe there's anything mentally wrong with AB."
Sharpe believes Brown is just fine mentally, with the only problem being his tendency to act like a child to get what he wants. Recent evidence points toward that being the case.
Antonio Brown is known for his tantrums
Drama started to surround Brown in Pittsburgh the moment JuJu Smith-Schuster began to have some success. He was traded to the Raiders, only to get cut before ever playing in a game after sitting out because he wasn't allowed to use his preferred helmet.
Antonio Brown tweeted this after the Bucs were beaten by the Rams. https://t.co/A6VMTw4odk
The tantrum served as a warning to other NFL teams. The Buccaneers took a chance and rumors emerged that the receiver was upset in Week 17 against the New York Jets because he needed a few catches to land some major incentives. Thus, he may have refused to go back into the game because he was upset.
His behavior is rare to see in professional sports, and a former NFL player like Sharpe seems to have had enough of all the drama. Brown may want to listen carefully to what Sharpe has to say if he ever wants to get his career back on track.