NFL: 25 wide receivers that should have been league MVP

NFL wide receivers that should have been league MVP: 11. Antonio Brown, 2014

Speaking of a controversial receiver, there’s nobody who paired skill and production more with some serious controversy. Antonio Brown may have ended his NFL career because of how he handled the vaccine requirements with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, looking back to his time with the Pittsburgh Steelers, he had some of the best seasons in the history of the game.

Brown jumped on the scene in 2013 with just under 1,500 yards, but it was in 2014 that he became one of the game’s best. Brown caught a league-leading 129 passes for a league-leading 1,698 yards and 13 touchdowns. The Steelers were one of the best teams in the league, and unlike other years, it was because of their great offense. Brown could not be covered, and he helped give the Steelers a leg up each and every game.

On top of all this, Brown was still the Steelers’ punt returner. He even took one for a touchdown in Week 17 as he scored two total touchdowns in the Steelers 27-17 win against the Bengals. It’s rare that teams still let their star receivers return punts, but the Steelers made sure that everyone was in the best position. Brown was the best punt returner, so that’s what he did.

Brown was the best player in the league in 2014. Aaron Rodgers was the MVP in 2014. He actually beat out J.J. Watt, who had a great season as a defensive end. No offense to either of them, but Brown was impacting more games. He was just unstoppable on the field, and he was the reason the Steelers offense was humming like it was.