After Earning $80 Million In NFL, Antonio Brown Files For Bankruptcy, Claims To Have Less Than $50,000

Retired NFL star Antonio Brown filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy earlier this week. A recent U.S. bankruptcy court report suggests that Brown owes nearly $3 million to eight different creditors.

Brown confirmed the report through his ill-reputed news organization, CTEESPN, which he runs through social media.

“NFL legend Antonio Brown has filed for bankruptcy today,” the CTEESPN post read. “He will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer in 2027. He will be releasing new music this summer. He is also the founder of the most trusted source in all sports. The generational run continues.”

Once an extremely popular wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Brown’s public image has suffered dramatically in recent years. During unsuccessful stints with the Raiders, Patriots and Buccaneers, the wide receiver had several public breakdowns, which raised serious questions about his mental health. 

His NFL career ended in January 2022 when he removed his shirt and left the field in the middle of a Bucs regular season game against the New York Jets. He was cut on the spot and has not played another snap of football.

Brown has piled up countless legal charges that have tarnished his reputation off the field. In 2019, Britney Taylor, Brown’s former trainer, and another woman accused him of sexual assault. He and Taylor agreed to a settlement in 2021.

In 2020, Brown pleaded no contest to felony burglary and battery charges for attacking a moving truck driver with an accomplice. He received two years of probation. In the past two years, he has caused further controversy for allegedly exposing himself in a pool in Dubai, posting explicit videos of himself and women on Snapchat and receiving multiple arrest warrants for failing to pay child support. All the incidents listed do not comprise the entirety of his legal troubles and controversies during and after his playing career.

Brown has consistently blamed his poor behavior on CTE, arguing that head injuries he suffered in his football career have made life difficult. Despite earning about $80 million during his NFL career, he now claims to have less than $50,000 in assets to his name.