Antonio Brown and Le'Veon Bell joked about, debated what it means to have CTE and whether they have it

Former Pittsburgh Steelers Pro Bowlers Antonio Brown and Le'Veon Bell were allowed in the same room together Monday. 

Brown's "CTESPN" podcast hosted the two ex-stars in a discussion of their unceremonious exits from Pittsburgh. 

They opened up about their thoughts and fears about chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). 

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The disease causes mental degeneration to those who have had repeated concussions and traumatic brain injuries. It is common among NFL players. 

Brown, in particular, has been suspected of having the disease. He has repeatedly claimed he has it in social media posts, like one from September 2023, when he wrote, "She know I got CTE that’s why she licking me" in a video posted to X. In April, he wrote, "My CTE acting up." 

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During Tuesday's interview with Bell, Brown asked his former teammate if he thought he had the disease. Bell said he didn't think Brown had it, nor did he think he had it himself. 

Brown then floated his own definition for the disease, which is far different from the medical one. Brown denied the idea that CTE causes "brain damage."

"I don't want to say it's brain damage because you can't live if it's brain damage," Brown said. "I feel like people try to frame CTE as a concussion you may have, but yo, we had a bunch of concussions. You know what I'm saying, like, you could live after a concussion." 

Antonio Brown of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers warms up prior to a game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium Jan. 2, 2022, in East Rutherford, N.J.  (Elsa/Getty Images)

Bell initially said he believed CTE was directly related to brain damage. But he didn't make any change to his stance later in the discussion. 

Brown said he thinks CTE is a collection of traumatic incidents. He pointed to an incident that Bell said he went through earlier in the show, when he was just four years old and had to play on the defensive and offensive line because his uncle wanted him to get used to football hits. 

"I feel like it's a characteristic of traumas that we all as people go through," Brown said. "Any kid having to go through that is building some kind of trauma because now, as a kid, you just become more aggressive. You develop anger."

Le'Veon Bell (26) of the Pittsburgh Steelers stiff-arms Pierre Desir (35) of the Indianapolis Colts during the second half at Lucas Oil Stadium Nov. 12, 2017, in Indianapolis.   (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

But Brown previously said he thinks his CTE was caused by a hit from his teammate, former Steelers linebacker James Harrison, during an Instagram live session Feb. 4. 

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"I wanted to tell you guys that I think James Harrison gave me CTE," Brown said. "James Harrison had an illegal helmet for over 20 years in the NFL, and he hit me one time. And, ever since he hit me, I’ve been super aggressive. So, blame James Harrison for my CTE."

In December, domestic charges were brought against Brown after an incident at his home in Florida. The charges were ultimately dismissed. In October, he was ordered to pay a moving truck driver $1.2 million after an alleged assault in February 2020.

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