Antonio Brown ‘of course’ welcome on Cardinals, Budda Baker tells TMZ

Every team in football would gladly take an elite wide receiver. But what if that wide receiver were Antonio Brown, and the team was the Arizona Cardinals?

Cardinals safety Budda Baker was asked by TMZ whether his team could “use” the controversial Brown, who is currently a free agent.

“I feel like a lot of teams could use Antonio Brown. He’s a great player,” Baker said. “Hopefully everything goes well with him and what he’s got going on, and hopefully he can get back to the league, because the league is definitely better with A.B.”

The reporter followed up by asking if Baker would welcome Brown on the Cards.

“Yeah, of course,” Baker said.

Indeed, Brown has been a productive player on the field. In 10 NFL seasons, Brown has eclipsed 1,100 receiving yards seven times, led the league in receiving yards twice and has a career high of 1,834 yards in a season with 75 total career touchdowns.

Brown’s nine years with the Pittsburgh Steelers came to an end after he was traded to the Oakland Raiders, but he was released before ever playing a regular season game in Oakland following several off-the-field incidents.

Instead of being a marquee star in the Raiders’ final season in Oakland before moving to Las Vegas, Brown gave them months of headaches, from a bizarre foot injury to a fight over his helmet to the blowups that ended his career there before it began. The Raiders granted the disgruntled but talented receiver his release.

He was then signed by the New England Patriots, who released Brown in September after a second woman in 10 days accused him of sexual misconduct.

Most recently, Brown was charged by Hollywood, Fla., police with burglary with battery, burglary of an unoccupied conveyance and criminal mischief. Officials responded Jan. 21 to a disturbance call where the moving truck driver said Brown and his trainer, Glenn Holt, hit him outside Brown’s Hollywood home.

A Florida judge freed NFL free agent Antonio Brown from house arrest in late January.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said recently the NFL’s main goal regarding the case involving Brown is to help him be successful in life. He did not offer any updates on where the investigation stands regarding the troubled receiver.

Brown’s return to the league is contingent on his being cleared to play again by the NFL.

If Brown were to join the Cardinals some day, he would join a receiver room that currently features Larry Fitzgerald and Christian Kirk as its top threats. Arizona went receiver-heavy in the draft in 2019, selecting Andy Isabella, Hakeem Butler and KeeSean Johnson. Butler has yet to make his NFL debut after missing all of 2019 with an injury.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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