Oh boy.
There is a lot to discuss when examining the career of Antonio Brown, the dynamic wide receiver. For the most part, his career had no red flags. In fact, he was arguably the best wide receiver of the decade.
Brown was a two-time All-American from Central Michigan and proved to be a great pick for the Pittsburgh Steelers, who drafted him 195th overall. He was used sparingly in his rookie year, but broke out with 1,108 receiving yards as a sophomore. Brown was considered an elite player from 2013 to 2019, with his expert route-running skills and ability to cut on a dime. He made the Pro Bowl in every season, including a four-year streak (2014-17) of First Team All-Pros. He twice led the NFL in receiving yards (2014 & 2017) with two second-place finishes, and was also at the top of the Receiving Touchdowns standings in 2018. Brown finished the decade with the most yards of any wide receiver and easily made the All-Decade Team.
Despite his success, Brown never won a Super Bowl with Pittsburgh. Late in the 2018 season, he and his quarterback fell out, and he asked for a trade, which he received, with Oakland as his landing spot. This began his dramatic downfall.
Brown never played for Oakland, as he missed most of training camp because of blistered feet from cryotherapy and later because he couldn't wear his old helmet. He had an altercation with his GM and asked to be released, which he was, hours before his money was to be guaranteed. Brown later signed with New England and was also dealing with sexual misconduct claims, but that stay lasted only one game. Tom Brady and Tampa Bay then picked him up, where he finally won a Super Bowl. However, a year later, he ran off the field during a game after refusing to go in for a play. Brown continued to make headlines, but always for the wrong reasons.
If Brown had retired after leaving Pittsburgh, he might have been a lock as a Pro Football Hall of Famer. Regardless, his legacy is what it is, and we have no idea what will happen next!
Ali Marpet made history in 2015 as the highest ever draft pick from a Division III school (Hobart) when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected the Offensive Lineman in the Second Round.
Marpet won the starting job at Right Guard as a rookie, where he played two years before he was shifted to Center for a year as Tampa Bay had a need to fill, and thought he could perform adequately. The year after, Marpet was moved back to the Guard position, this time on the left side, and held his ground for four years, including his final one where he was chosen for the Pro Bowl, and protected the legendary Tom Brady on the road to a Super Bowl win.
Adrian Peterson quickly proved to be a complete package as a running back. He was an All-American in his first season at Oklahoma and made history as the first freshman to be the runner-up for the Heisman. Peterson played two more seasons with the Sooners, but ankle issues prevented him from having the same impact in those years. Despite scouts' concerns about his past injuries, Peterson was highly regarded. Minnesota drafted him with their seventh overall pick, and his injuries did not hamper him as some had expected.
Peterson proved he had all the skills scouts predicted he would. He was a speedy athlete with a strong frame who could outperform you in outrunning, overpowering, and outmaneuvering you. The Running Back confidently claimed that he would win the Offensive Rookie of the Year title, and he successfully did so by rushing for 1,341 Yards, scoring 12 Touchdowns, and setting a record for the most rushing yards in a single game (296). Even though Peterson had achieved similar results in his freshman year in college, doubters still wondered if he could remain durable over the next few seasons. Nevertheless, Peterson proved them wrong yet again.
Peterson won his first Rushing Title (1,760) as a sophomore and his first Rushing Touchdown Title (18) in his third season. He was a First Team All-Pro in both of those years. As a result, Peterson was the top Running Back in the National Football League at the start of the 2010s.
Peterson remained a top player over the next two seasons, scoring a dozen touchdowns each year. However, in 2011, he suffered a major injury that set his career back. Peterson tore his ACL and MCL and was unlikely to return to the field until Game 1 in 2012. Despite this challenge, Peterson approached his recovery with the same determination he showed on the field against defenders.
Peterson's 2012 season was truly remarkable, especially considering the challenges he faced during the off-season. Despite this, he stayed healthy and had the best performance of his career. He won two titles that season - the Rushing Title (with 2,097 yards) and the Yards From Scrimmage Title (with 2,314 yards), both career-highs. Peterson was also awarded the AP MVP and Offensive Player of the Year Awards. It was a season that will go down in history and is arguably the most outstanding offensive year in Minnesota Vikings history.
Adrian Peterson rushed for 1,266 yards in the 2013 season, which was an emotional year for him due to the tragic loss of his two-year-old son at the hands of his mother's live-in boyfriend. The following season, Peterson faced child abuse allegations and was only able to play in one game. As a result, he was suspended for the rest of the season.
However, Peterson returned in the 2015 season with a vengeance, gaining 1,485 yards and scoring 11 touchdowns. This performance was a significant achievement for him, as he topped the NFL in both categories for the first time. Although he had better performances earlier in his career, this season was Peterson's last All-Pro year. In the six years that followed, he struggled with injuries and moved from team to team.
Despite these challenges, Peterson still had moments of greatness, such as in 2018, when he played for the Washington Redskins and gained close to 2,000 yards in his two years there. He also had brief runs with Arizona, New Orleans, Detroit, Tennessee, and Seattle. Throughout his career, he amassed 14,918 rushing yards, 17,808 all-purpose yards, and 126 touchdowns, along with numerous individual awards.
Despite the off-field controversies, Peterson is widely regarded as one of the greatest running backs in history, with the statistics and awards to back it up. It would be a shock if he did not cruise into Canton immediately.