Antonio Brown finally has set the record straight.
The Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver explained his controversial “trade me” tweet, telling reporters on Thursday it was a frustrated response to a provocative comment. Former Steelers PR man Ryan Scarpino irked Brown on Sunday following the Steelers’ Week 2 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs when he asserted the All-Pro wide receiver’s teammates are more responsible for his success than he is.
“It was a guy who used to work here, a PR guy, a guy who actually even picked me up, took a personal shot at me,” Brown said, per the Steelers’ website. “Obviously I don’t want to be traded. I am still grateful to put on my uniform. I am grateful to be a part of this organization. I don’t take that for granted. Obviously it was a stupid remark online. I just have to stay away from online with the distractions and letting people get me out of my character.
“It is just sad for a guy that worked here numerous years to say what he thinks. It’s a team game. My success does depend on (Ben) Roethlisberger, the offensive line and all the other receivers doing their job. As a competitor I take this serious. It’s just not a game to me and cashing checks. Money don’t matter. I look at my assignments and performance. That means a lot to me. When I go home I weigh in on that. My family weighs in on that. To me, guys think they can just disrespect me. It’s out of order.”
The tweet spread panic among Steelers fans, especially in light of the team’s 0-2 start. Brown’s comments about it mirror those of his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, who downplayed the significance of the tweet Tuesday.
Brown then stressed the importance of the Steelers winning their Week 3 game Monday night against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“We got to find a way to win,” Brown said. “Monday night is another opportunity to erase the doubt and erase the thoughts about us as a team.”
Brown finally has said what Steelers fans wanted to hear, but they undoubtedly will look forward to his and his team’s play speaking even louder than he did to reporters.
