Since Mike Tomlin’s season-ending press conference, there’s been an overwhelming feeling of change in the air of Pittsburgh. The Steelers missed the playoffs after having one of the most talented teams in the conference, and something had to be done. Drama has been synonymous with the Steelers for the past few seasons, yet little has been done about it.
That narrative is apparently over in the Steel City.
Antonio Brown has long been considered a diva, whether it be him throwing Gatorade coolers on the sideline or getting into numerous arguments with coaching staff. Brown has always portrayed himself as a “look at me” persona in Pittsburgh, doing almost anything in his power to make everybody watching aware that he was the best in the business. For a long time, business was booming for Brown in Pittsburgh, however, after a drama-filled conclusion to the season, Brown might have burned his last bridge in a city that contains 446 of them.
Tomlin hinted at it in his press conference, stating change was surely coming for the team, and answered questions regarding Brown in a passive manner. Our very own Mike Asti pounded the table for Brown to be traded in his Mic Drop segment.
Now, Steelers President Art Rooney II confirmed to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that Brown’s tenure in Pittsburgh is likely over.
“As we sit here today, it’s hard to envision that. But there’s no sense on closing the door on anything today. There’s snow on the ground. We don’t have to make those decisions right now.”- Rooney on Brown being on the roster for training camp.
Rooney was adamant on not ruling anything out, except a flat-out release of Brown. Yet it appears barring a serious change of heart via a conversation with Brown, a trade is inevitable in the minds of the decision makers within the front office. Even the dead cap hit of $22 million Brown carries on the salary cap won’t stop Rooney from making a deal. “I’m not going to say that’s going to box us into anything,” Rooney said. “If we decide something has to be done, we’ll figure out how to deal with that.”
A few hours after Rooney’s comments were released, Brown posted his “response” on his Instagram page.
The saga of Brown in Pittsburgh continues, at least until mid-March when the new league year starts and the Steelers can officially move Brown. The time is ticking for Brown if he truly wants to stay in Pittsburgh, but the damage done may be too great to move on from.