Jan 8, 2017; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker James Harrison (92) reacts to the crowd against the Miami Dolphins during the fourth quarter in the AFC Wild Card playoff football game at Heinz Field. The Steelers won 30-12. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Antonio Brown blamed former Steelers teammate James Harrison for giving him CTE with an illegal helmet and Harrison had the perfect reaction to the claim.
Pittsburgh Steelers and workout legend James Harrison hasn’t been on an NFL field since the 2017 season. But his former teammate, wide receiver Antonio Brown, brought him back into the news on Saturday with a wild claim.
Brown, who has been much-maligned for his off-field behavior since he shirtlessly ran off the field in New York while playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, went on social media and claimed that Harrison used an illegal helmet for 20 seasons and that caused the former wideout to have CTE.
Here’s the video that was pulled from Brown’s Instagram.
After seeing the fervor created by Brown’s post, though, what was Harrison supposed to say?
James Harrison responds to Antonio Brown CTE claims with iconic meme
He did just about the only thing he could. The former Steeler channeled his inner meme-lord, who is apparently just as strong as the man himself on the exterior, for a classic response.
In a moment where many people would’ve reacted angrily and spitefully towards Brown, Harrison deserves to be commended for how he handled the situation. He turned towards a humorous response to the conversation that was happening that included him thanks to his former teammate and then seemed to leave things at that.
Brown has been embroiled in controversy before and since his exit from the NFL and his social media activity has been part of that in recent months. This is another example of that, but it is indeed wild to see him outright blame a former Steelers teammate for causing him to have the serious and highly concerning brain disease at the forefront of player safety in the modern NFL.