Odds Say Antonio Brown Won’t Play in the XFL During 2020 Season
- With tons of legal issues and no end in sight Brown was cut from the Patriots and subsequently vowed to never play in the NFL again
- The talent that he possesses along with his relatively young age would suggest that he could still play
- He might be done with the NFL but could the XFL snag him up?
Former NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown was on his way to a Hall of Fame level career. He still might end up in what is considered the most prestigious place in all of football, but it isn’t as automatic as it once was.
In roughly one year, Brown has spent time on several different teams. He was moved from the Pittsburgh Steelers to the Oakland Raiders in March. The star receiver spent only a few months there as he was cut from the team following several issues with management.
He didn’t spend much time on the street as he was quickly picked up by the New England Patriots. Brown showed that he hasn’t lost a step in his first game. He caught four passes for 56 yards and a touchdown.
Odds Antonio Brown Will Play in the XFL
| Result | Odds |
|---|---|
| Yes | +200 |
| No | -300 |
*Odds taken 9/25/19
Unfortunately for Brown and the Patriots, legal issues began to pop up left and right which forced the team to cut him. He would then vow to never play in the NFL ever again.
Although Brown has said that he no longer wants to play in the NFL, he didn’t say anything about not playing football ever again.
The odds of Brown suiting up for an NFL team for the remainder of this season are slim. Even if he stayed away from the NFL for the entire 2019 season, his chances of getting on a roster in 2020 would be bleak at best.
His legal issues don’t seem to be going away anytime soon and plenty of teams are quite possibly tired of his act by now.
Brown can go outside the box and decide to take another route. There is a new league coming in the spring of 2020. One that is drawing plenty of attention. The XFL.
AB already telling TB he loves him. #Patriots pic.twitter.com/znG5dbn6TR
— Matt DaCøsta (@mattdacosta6) September 19, 2019
This isn’t the first time that this league has come about. Back in 2001, the XFL brought a whole new concept to football but it failed miserably. Now that it is rebooted and better than ever, many believe that it will certainly be a huge success this time around.
The buzz that the XFL is receiving is noticeable , but it would increase ten fold, with Brown apart of it.
Neither Side Has Shown Any Interest
The attention from Brown might bring this relatively new league to extraordinary heights in terms of popularity, but it isn’t something that they are currently interested in. The league, according to multiple reports, has no interest in Brown, but does the troubled wide receiver want them?
As it currently stands, Brown has made no comments about the XFL. In fact, he recently revealed that he has enrolled in four online classes at Central Michigan. The same school he played three seasons for from 2007-2009 and is still the school’s all-time leading receiver.
Ultimate #XFL Fan Checklist
Pick your favorite squad ✅
Purchase official team gear from ➡️https://t.co/gb0haDvGib
Secure season tickets for the 2020 season ➡️https://t.co/7NqgdGI0mf pic.twitter.com/6WTiZkIRCT— XFL (@xfl2020) August 26, 2019
Still, even with Brown enrolling in school, it is hard to envision him giving up on football entirely. Just don’t count on seeing him in an XFL jersey this coming Spring.
Brown has always thought highly of himself. It wouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone if he felt that he is the best player in the NFL today. A player of his caliber should have his talents on display in the NFL where the best players in the world are currently playing.
What Does the Future Hold for Antonio Brown?
So many things have to happen before this question can truly be answered.
First and foremost, Brown must get past his numerous legal woes. Assuming he can do that successfully and he changes his tune about playing in the NFL, his focus would shift to that league rather than the XFL. Brown loves attention and joining the XFL would give him tons of it. Yet with that being said, don’t count on him playing in this new found league. Instead, expect him to fully focus on a return to the NFL sometime in 2020.
Whether he will be successful or not is another story entirely.
Hans Themistode has worked in sports journalism since attending Queens College, and has worked for several newspapers including the BX Times and Canarsie Courier, as well as writing for publications such as Fansided and The Clever. His work has also been featured on Bleacher Report.
