ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- For the record, Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown says it wasn't him playing NBA 2K26 in the wee hours Sunday before his team played the Cleveland Browns in Week 4.
"That was one of my buddies playing on my account," St. Brown clarified after Thursday's practice.
A clip of St. Brown went viral over the weekend, with his gaming profile allegedly popping up on the NBA 2K26 MyPlayer park at 4 a.m. before the Lions faced the Browns at home.
Either way, the late-night gaming -- or lack thereof -- didn't affect his on-field performance, as the All-Pro receiver caught all seven targets from Lions quarterback Jared Goff for 70 receiving yards and two touchdowns in Detroit's 34-10 win over Cleveland to improve to 3-1.
The receiver also addressed his NBA 2K sighting on his "St. Brown Podcast" on Wednesday.
Goff and St. Brown's six touchdowns this season are also the most of any quarterback-receiver duo in the NFL.
As St. Brown's career continues to ascend, he's aware that his personal life will also be scrutinized.
"I like to have fun with it. There's trolls on the internet, on [X], everywhere. So, I can be a troll myself sometimes, I feel like. So, I'm human, too," St. Brown said Thursday. "I like to have fun, but there's still a level of professionalism that you have to have and I have to have, but at the end of the day if you get a win, if you play well, you're allowed to have some fun."
He understands that it's the price of becoming an NFL superstar, so it doesn't bother him.
St. Brown, 25, has experienced national fame as early as high school as an All-American receiver at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California, under the strict guidelines of his father, John Brown, which prepared him for these types of moments.
"It's fun. I think the fans make this game exciting," St. Brown said. "They're there every week. They support us. They cheer us on. So, without them, I feel like this game is nothing."
St. Brown is an avid gamer who is known to compete in video games such as Call of Duty or FIFA over the years, even using the hobby to bond with his older brother, Equanimeous, a receiver who played for the Packers and Bears.
Still, St. Brown's gaming sessions haven't stopped him from a sensational start to his career in Detroit. He has 39 receiving touchdowns in four-plus seasons entering Sunday's game at Cincinnati. St. Brown is one shy of becoming the third player in Lions history with at least 40 receiving TDs, along with Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson (83) and Herman Moore (62).
