In the latest dramatic episode in Pittsburgh, wide receiver Antonio Brown – who did not play in the Steelers’ Week 17 must-win game against the Cincinnati Bengals – has reportedly asked for a trade.
Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweeted Tuesday that Brown made the request amid “issues” with Coach Mike Tomlin and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
That news followed reports Monday that Brown was benched for Pittsburgh’s close win over Cincinnati after a heated dispute with Roethlisberger on Wednesday led to the wide receiver missing practice for the rest of the week; the team had indicated a knee injury was keeping Brown out of the contest.
Following La Canfora’s tweet, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said Brown “exited the field in frustration on Wednesday” and “yelled, ‘I’m done!’ Then wondered why they don’t trade him.” Rapoport described Brown’s comments as “more venting in anger than anything” and claimed that the six-time Pro Bowler “has not made any actual trade request, officially.”
Still, if it’s unclear to the outside world how Brown feels about being a Steeler these days, it’s also apparently a mystery to other Pittsburgh players. Calling Brown one of his “closer friends,” Roethlisberger said he spoke with the wide receiver Thursday morning and “everything was fine,” but noted that it was the “last time” they conversed, despite the quarterback reaching out “numerous times” since.
“I know guys that are frustrated,” Roethlisberger said.
“I think the biggest thing is, some of the guys that I’ve talked to, they’ve tried to reach out to him and they haven’t heard back.”
If the Steelers are inclined to try to trade Brown, regardless of whether he actually made the request, his contract could prove a major impediment.
According to overthecap.com, Brown would account for more than $21 million in dead money toward the team’s salary cap in 2019 and more than $14 million in 2020, seemingly prohibitive amounts to pay for a player not to contribute on the field.
LIONS: Detroit is not renewing the contract of offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter.
In Coach Matt Patricia’s first season with the team, Cooter was a holdover from Jim Caldwell’s staff, but his first season with Patricia did not go well. Only two teams in the NFC scored fewer points than Detroit’s 324.
BROWNS: Gregg Williams interviewed for the vacant head coaching position, after he went 5-3 as Cleveland’s interim coach after taking over when Hue Jackson was fired on Oct. 29.
SEAHAWKS: Seattle placed safety Delano Hill on injured reserve after suffering a non-displaced fracture in his hip in the regular-season finale.
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