Terry Bradshaw blames Antonio Brown for Steelers’ lack of Super Bowls

Legendary Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw came down hard on Patriots receiver Antonio Brown for his alleged role in Pittsburgh team drama.

Former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback and current TV analyst Terry Bradshaw isn’t going to beat around the bush – he “can’t stand” Antonio Brown.

Speaking to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review in an interview last week, Bradshaw blamed Brown for being a distraction and a negative influence on the Steelers organization… although he also blamed Pittsburgh’s staff for tolerating Brown’s behavior as long as they did.

Here’s what he said exactly, courtesy of Sports Illustrated’s Michael Shapiro:

"“I had no idea (the Steelers) catered to Brown as much as they supposedly did. I can’t stand players like Antonio Brown. I will not put up with that kind of behavior. You don’t win with it. Why haven’t we won more Super Bowls? There is talent, [but] it’s just guys like him. Let him go and his brand and whatever it is he’s doing.”"

The Steelers did finally decide to let Brown go this past March when they traded him to the Oakland Raiders for a pair of draft picks, but not before the talented but troubled superstar receiver vocally expressed his displeasure with Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and team management over their misuse and under-appreciation of his abilities.

Roethlisberger (“Big Ben”), Brown, and former running back Le’Veon Bell formed the “Killer B’s” in Pittsburgh between 2013 and 2017, when all three players were collectively responsible for powering one of the highest-octane offenses in the NFL. But as their relationship disintegrated, so too did the Steelers’ fortunes.

Now Brown is in New England with the Patriots, Bell is in New York with the Jets, and Roethlisberger is headed to season-ending injured reserve. The Steelers sit at 0-2 for just the second time in Mike Tomlin’s 13-year tenure as head coach.

Although Pittsburgh made the playoffs in six of Brown’s nine seasons as a Steeler, Bradshaw surmises that the team could have made a deeper run without the selfish receiver in tow… and perhaps might have even won another championship or two along the way. The Steelers haven’t achieved Super Bowl glory since 2008, though they did finish as runners-up in Brown’s rookie season (2010).

Bradshaw certainly has earned the right to say whatever he pleases about the current state of the Steelers franchise – that’s the benefit of having piloted said franchise to four of its six Super Bowl wins.

Still, it’s interesting to learn that he places so much of the blame for the Steelers’ current championship drought at Brown’s feet, considering Pittsburgh’s then-No. 84 remains the franchise’s all-time second-leading receiver in terms of career yards and career touchdowns.