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Antonio Brown accepted some blame for his part in being out of the league for all but one game during a wide-ranging interview with ESPN’s Josina Anderson on Friday.

Brown, who earlier in the day apologized to the Hollywood (Fla.) police department, said he also owed the league an apology.

“I think I owe the whole NFL an apology and my past behavior,” said Brown. “I think I could have done a lot of things better.”

His interview with ESPN came two days after NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said the league is “doing everything to help” the wide receiver.

“In Antonio’s situation, I think the first thing for all of us is to think about the well-being of Antonio,” Goodell said. “To understand what Antonio’s going through. …

“We want to help get him on the right track and get him in a position where he is in a zone where he thinks he can be successful in life. And we are confident that can happen. We want to work to do that, and from our standpoint, that’s the first step. The first step is making sure that we’re doing everything to help Antonio.”

Behind the scenes of our late night interview with Antonio Brown at his 84/7 gym. Coming soon on Sunday NFL Countdown Super Bowl Sunday. pic.twitter.com/tyRNQP4aR0

— ig: josinaanderson (@JosinaAnderson) February 1, 2020

Brown said it was nice to hear something positive from Goodell.

“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,” said Brown.

He was less sure of Goodell’s sincerity about helping Brown, saying, “I’ll believe it when we see it.”



Brown, 31, played in just one game this season after being cut by both the then-Oakland Raiders and the New England Patriots.

Off-the-field troubles over the last month in South Florida prompted his earlier apology.

On Jan. 13, Brown live-streamed an encounter with the police that included numerous obscenities directed at officers and the mother of his children. That incident prompted the Hollywood PD to cancel Brown’s affiliation with the Police Athletic League and returned a donation he had made to assist with youth football.

Then on Jan. 21, Brown allegedly was involved in a dispute with a moving-truck driver outside his Hollywood home. Days later, Brown surrendered to the police on charges of burglary with battery (a felony), burglary of an unoccupied conveyance and criminal mischief.

Brown got out on bail on Jan. 24, and he was released from house arrest on Tuesday.

In the wake of all of that drama, Brown wrote on Instagram Friday evening, “To everyone who I may have offended or Disrespected at the @hollywoodflpd Of the state of Florida, I would like to sincerely give you all my apology from the top and bottom of my heart, And as a human being and an professional athlete I can honestly say that my emotions truly did cloud my better Judgment, When you all were only there to help me.

“Thanks to you all who sincerely accept my Sincere apology. And we must all know that God is a Forgiving God. P.S The ‘PAL’ Youth League, I’m looking to working with you all again in the near future.”

–Field Level Media (@FieldLevelMedia)