Back and forth they go in the Steel City.
Just a few hours after Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney II gave a bleak outlook on Antonio Brown’s future with the organization, Brown responded by tweeting a photo of himself and Rooney with a curious caption.
What does it all mean?!
Rooney told the media it would be “hard to envision” the star wide receiver in Pittsburgh next season, after trade rumors and whispers of Brown’s discontent with his teammates and the organization started swirling once the season ended. Is Brown implying it would be “bad business” to trade the NFL’s leader in touchdown receptions, or simply reminding Rooney and the Steelers of better days between the two?
The 30-year-old wide receiver reportedly had a blowup with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in the leadup to Pittsburgh’s Week 17 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Brown sat out practice for the rest of the week and was benched by head coach Mike Tomlin for the season finale.
The Pro Bowl receiver reportedly asked for but did not demand a trade after the incident, but he carries a $21.25 million cap hit for next season, so he likely would be difficult to move despite his immense talent.
Pittsburgh can’t trade Brown until March 13, meaning the Steelers have two months to smooth things over with the NFL’s best receiver or else they might be forced to find a new home for him.
