Ryan Kang, via Associated Press
Antonio Brown has become the most prominent wide receiver in the N.F.L., though not solely for his elite playmaking. Once an unheralded walk on at Central Michigan, Brown became a seven-time Pro Bowler and an All-Pro selection through nine seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Oakland Raiders and now the New England Patriots.
But that career has been characterized as much by his rankling behavior as by otherworldly catches. And the pace with which Brown has made news for his conduct has accelerated over the past month, with incidents involving a cryogenic chamber, a dispute over a helmet, and trade demands made via social media.