Stephen A. Smith has linked Antonio Brown’s recent behaviour to symptoms of CTE. CTE is known as Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, which is a progressive brain disease. It grows further due to repeated head trauma and is often found in athletes from contact sports, such as American Football.
Some of the most prevalent examples of CTE found in players from the NFL include Junior Seau, Frank Gifford, and Aaron Hernandez. These players were diagnosed with CTE after their passing, since it could only be tested after someone’s death.
The ESPN host sat down for an episode of the Joe and Jada podcast and talked about Brown’s legal troubles. Smith seems to believe Brown is going through the same thing, which has led to his erratic behavior. He also stated that it’s what led to his latest arrest in Dubai.
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“Personally, I think that’s what Antonio Brown is going through,” Smith said. “That’s why he got arrested in Dubai.
Brown Suffered A Concussion Back In 2016
Stephen A. Smith has pointed to CTE as a possible cause of Antonio Brown’s troubling behavior as of late. Brown has been causing chaos on social media for some time now and has been a controversial figure in the NFL.
Smith specifically pointed to a specific incident in his conversation on the Joe and Jada podcast that caused him to shift. He believes that Brown wasn’t the same after he suffered a concussion when Vontaze Burfict was struck in the head back during a game between the Steelers and Bengals in 2016.
“He hasn’t been the same since that hit with Vontaze Burfict when he was a Pittsburgh Steeler,” Smith continued. “His whole body seized up like Rigamortis.”
Brown Was Arrested In The UAE
Antonio Brown was arrested earlier this month in Dubai and extradited to the United States. Brown is charged with attempted murder after firing two shots at a man outside a celebrity boxing event. He was then released on a $25,000 bail.
The former Steerlers player has pleaded not guilty to his ongoing case. Brown has claimed his innocence in a statement on X. He stated that some people tried to jump him for his jewelry, which caused him to defend himself. He even claimed that he was only detained by the police and not arrested.
Brown has appointed Mark Eilgarsh as his lawyer to defend him, who also claimed he’s innocent. The legal battle is currently ongoing, but if Brown is found guilty, he could be looking at 30 years in prison.
Published: Nov 26, 2025 04:47 pm