Brown reflects on off-field issues: 'I could have done a lot of things better'

Free-agent wide receiver Antonio Brown expressed his disappointment regarding the off-field issues he's been involved in over the past months.

"I think I owe the whole NFL an apology and my past behavior," Brown said in an interview with Josina Anderson of ESPN. "I think I could have done a lot of things better."

Brown started the 2019 season with the Oakland Raiders after being traded from the Pittsburgh Steelers in March. However, his time with the Raiders was short-lived. He was released in September following several incidents, which included a confrontation with general manager Mike Mayock and threats to retire over his helmet style.

The New England Patriots signed Brown prior to the regular season but released the pass-catcher two weeks later following sexual assault allegations against him.

In January 2020, Brown was arrested and charged with felony burglary with battery, burglary of an unoccupied conveyance and criminal mischief, and he verbally abused members of the Hollywood Police Department after they responded to a separate domestic disturbance at his home.

The 31-year-old is currently under investigation by the NFL.

"I feel like I never really got in a conflict with no woman," Brown said. "I just feel like I'm a target so, anybody can come against me and say anything (that) I have to face. There's no support, there's no egos, there's no rules in it, anyone can come after me for anything. No proof or whatever. 'He said, she's saying.'

"The media will run with it, so even if I'm not guilty, I already guilty because they already wrote it, put it on TV and put that in people minds. So for me to have to sit here and hear those the allegations of me is just unfair to me every time."

Brown's off-field issues were discussed during Roger Goodell's end-of-season presser Wednesday. The seven-time Pro Bowler was happy with what the commissioner had to say about his situation.

"I was pleased to hear that after 140 days that there was some positivity about me because as of late I've just been the cancer of the NFL," Brown said. "The problem child, the guy who gets in trouble, the kind of guy who has the bad narrative about him."

When asked about whether or not he needs mental health help, Brown said, "We all need mental help."

The receiver also denied he has developed chronic traumatic encephalopathy: "If I had CTE I wouldn't be able to have this beautiful gym, I wouldn't be able to be creative. I wouldn't be able to communicate."