Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me three times, shame on both of us.
But what about a fourth or fifth time?
It appears Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson wants to find out. Controversial receiver Antonio Brown wore out his welcome with quite a few teams in rather short order, but according to 710 ESPN Seattle's John Clayton, Wilson isn't deterred by any of that.
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"It’s pretty clear the Seahawks want to run the ball even more this year,” Clayton wrote Friday. “They have loaded up at tight end and tried to stay big along the offensive line. But it’s not out of the question for the Seahawks to add another wide receiver. According to sources, Wilson would love to add Antonio Brown. Brown is also close with backup QB Geno Smith, whose one-year contract with the Seahawks was finalized Wednesday."
There's no denying Brown's talent, but why Wilson would expect him to act any differently in Seattle than he did during his time with the Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots and Las Vegas Raiders is anyone's guess. At no point since the Steelers decided he wasn't worth the headache has Brown proven himself capable of fitting into an NFL locker room. He has clashed with coaches and players on the field, and gotten into plenty of trouble off of it as well.
As Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio explained, even if the Seahawks were to sign Brown, there's no guarantee he would ever be able to play for them.
"Of course, Brown can’t play for anyone until a trio of pending Personal Conduct Policy investigations have concluded," Florio wrote. "From last September’s lawsuit alleging sexual assault and rape to alleged harassment of another female who made claims against him to SI.com to an incident with a moving-truck driver that resulted in an arrest and multiple charges, Brown could be facing a significant suspension before he’s permitted to play again."
San Francisco 49ers
Given Brown's reputation, combined with the presence of Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf, it really doesn't seem like he would be worth the trouble for Seattle. Of course, it's possible Wilson views himself as the right leader to get the most out of Brown. Then again, we've heard that before.
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It's a flashy name and, yeah, Brown and Wilson theoretically could work wonders together. But he is far more likely to do more damage than good, and for that reason, the 49ers and the rest of the NFC West shouldn't be worried one bit.
[49ERS INSIDER PODCAST: Listen to the latest episode]