It sure seems like Antonio Brown is just itching to get out of Pittsburgh.
Jason Whitlock, however, is beginning to think the opposite.
Brown has taken every opportunity he’s received to bash the Steelers, most specifically Ben Roethlisberger. From his appearance on HBO’s “The Shop” to a sit-down interview with ESPN, Browns seems to be relishing the opportunity to vocalize his frustrations with the team that drafted him nine years ago.
But if you ask Whitlock, Brown’s recent behavior mirrors that of a scorned lover. And as Brown’s soundbites mount, the “Speak For Yourself” co-host is becoming more convinced the seven-time Pro Bowl selection wants to stay in the Steel City.
“What is the motivation? What is AB trying to accomplish? I got a little bit of a curveball. I’m not sure he wants out of Pittsburgh,” Whitlock said Monday on FOX Sports 1. “I think he’s done these interviews trying to destroy his trade value. Sometimes it’s like you break up with somebody and they just keep talking about the relationship. ‘I’m over it, but I’m gonna keep talking about it.'”
Now that’s a spin zone.
Even if Brown was attempting reverse psychology, the damage likely has been done. The line appeared to be drawn in the sand when the star wideout was benched for the Steelers’ must-win Week 17 contest, and in wake of everything that’s transpired since, it seems as though the relationship is past of the point of repair. If fences were capable of being mended, progress likely would have been made when Brown met with franchise owner Art Rooney II last month.
So while the lead up to the all-but-certain divorce has been rather messy, Brown and the Steelers likely won’t have to deal with each other for much longer.
