Steelers fans hoping Antonio Brown will stay in Pittsburgh need to start preparing for the worst. The controversial wideout has dropped another trade hint.
Antonio Brown just can’t seem to keep his mouth shut when it comes to his desire to leave the Pittsburgh Steelers.
At some point, Mike Tomlin and company are going to give him what he wants just to put an end to his media circus.
The enigmatic Pro Bowler took to Twitter today to post a not so mysterious claim that he is “open for business” on Thursday. We suppose it’s possible that Brown is looking to launch a side hustle as a Rodan and Fields salesman, but it’s much more likely that his tweet is designed to send a clear message to other NFL teams that he’d like to leave the Steel City.
From a football perspective, giving up a receiver in the prime of his career will really hurt the Steelers. It’s highly unlikely anything they get in return for Brown can replace his on field production anytime soon. Whether you approve of his off field antics or not, there’s no denying that Brown is one of the top receivers in the game.
On the other hand, the constant unrest he sparks in the Steelers locker room has to wear on his teammates and coaches. It’s the sort of behavior that is tolerated when your team is a Super Bowl contender, but it really becomes a problem when you start to approach mediocrity. Evidently finishing 9-6-1 isn’t good enough to cover up Brown’s bad manners.
The challenge for the Steelers is to keep Brown quiet long enough to find a good trade for the organization. Potential suitors are already well-aware of how his conduct might disrupt their locker room. There are already certain NFL teams that won’t consider Brown based on those risks.
The ones that are still interested in Brown don’t want to be reminded of his potential for combustion while they are thinking about giving up serious assets in a trade for his services. If Brown continues to speak publicly about his desire to leave Pittsburgh, he may depress his trade value enough to earn a long-term stay with the Steelers.
The odds still favor Brown being dealt before this April’s draft, but he’s not helping himself at the moment. A few weeks of quiet would definitely help the controversial wideout get the trade he so desperately covets.