Antonio Brown didn't request trade away from Steelers, Mike Tomlin says

Share

Despite reports -- and some social-media activity -- to the contrary, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said star wide receiver has not requested a trade away from Pittsburgh.

"I'm not gonna speculate on trades and things of that nature," Tomlin told the media in Pittsburgh on Wednesday. "We haven't formally received a request in that regard, so I'm not gonna speculate. I'm not gonna speculate on where the discipline might go -- just know that it's gonna be addressed ... and needs to be addressed."

Brown did not play in the Steelers' regular-season finale on Sunday, and reportedly "skipped multiple meetings and practices" before and after that game, according to reports from ESPN and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Sunday was also the same day 49ers tight end George Kittle tweeted at Brown, and Brown followed that up by, well, following the 49ers and a bunch of related accounts on social media. 

The 30-year-old is one of the most dynamic playmakers in football, and is coming off his fourth season in the last four years with over 1200 receiving yards and double-digit touchdowns. His 15 receiving TDs were a career high, and matched the entirety of the 49ers' wide-receiver corps in 2018. With nearly $54 million in salary-cap space (per Spotrac), the 49ers would also figure to have plenty of salary-cap space to bring in Brown. 

And if the locker room needs any singers, Brown can apparently help in that area as well. 

Yes, Brown competed on Fox's new ... uh, masked singing competition?  He dressed up as a hippo on the show "The Masked Singer," which premiered on Wednesday and asks a panel of celebrity judges to guess which celebrity is performing under a mask. Brown was eliminated in the first episode.

There's surely a metaphor for Brown's relationship with the Steelers in there somewhere, but we'll have all offseason to figure it out and see if the trade comes to fruition. 

Contact Us