For the past few weeks, it feels like we have been getting daily reports on the Antonio Brown saga in Pittsburgh, and the last several rumors we have heard on the matter have suggested that both sides may be open to continuing their relationship.
But Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports paints quite a different picture. He says that Brown has recently reiterated his trade demands via agent Drew Rosenhaus, and that Brown has refused to return calls from club owner Art Rooney II. Meanwhile, JLC reports that Brown has told his Pittsburgh teammates that he will never play for the Steelers again.
Brown has three years and $39MM left on his current contract, and despite this falling out with the Steelers, almost every team in the league would be happy to have him. He would prefer to be dealt to the 49ers, but the Steelers reportedly have no intention of allowing Brown to pursue a trade on his own. Instead, Pittsburgh will control the process, and team brass plans to talk to potential trade partners at the scouting combine in a few weeks. The Steelers of course prefer to trade Brown to an NFC club, and they will not deal him to one of their bigger AFC rivals. They also still hope to get at least a first-round pick for him.
Meanwhile, La Canfora writes that the Steelers still plan to put the transition tag on Le’Veon Bell, who sat out the entire 2018 season. That is in keeping with what we have been hearing for months, but it obviously does not mean that Bell will be back in Pittsburgh. It will simply be the precursor to a tag-and-trade scenario, and JLC names the Jets and Eagles as potential destinations. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com confirms that the Steelers are contemplating the transition tag, and he even suggests that Bell could return to the Steelers, but that is difficult to fathom at this point.
Finally, La Canfora confirms what we have recently heard with respect to Ryan Shazier. Shazier’s rookie contract is up, and the team has indicated that it plans to re-sign him even though there is no chance he will be able to play in 2019, if ever. JLC says the two sides are working on a one-year pact, and that it will not take long for that to come to fruition.
Can I get a La Canfora filter on this site? The guy makes stuff up all the time. He’s the absolute worst sports reporter out there.
I agree entirely. I don’t believe anything La Canfora writes until it’s confirmed by another source. He hunts for stories, regardless of whether or not they’re true. There’s been scenarios where he and Rapaport or Schefter will put out conflicting stories, and 99% of the time, La Canfora is the one in the wrong
I agree I don’t know how La Canfora has a job. Man has no integrity
Yep. Dude is terrible.
I wonder what happens at Browns house with his son, teaching him that it’s ok to throw a hissy fit to get what you want.
To be fair, thats all kids nowadays.
You mean all kids ever? Kids in your day weren’t any better
Looking for a new job when you don’t like your current job is a hissy fit?
Yeah, when you’re under contract for 3 more years in your present job. In the old days there was a legal and moral obligation to live up to your agreements. These days when athletes want a raise they throw a temper tantrum which basically forces the team to trade them. It’s disgusting. There is still something to be said for personal integrity and honoring one’s word. They should never have gone out of style in this world, but they have, especially in the world of sports. It’s also sad that there are people like you who think it’s perfectly fine for athletes to disregard their obligations.
The agreement allows players to request trades and to choose not to play. He is operating within the limits of his contract
Don’t trade him, if he doesn’t report or play he doesn’t get paid and his career is essentially over until he does.
And the Steelers are stuck with a $15 million cap hit for a player not playing…sounds like a good plan that won’t prohibit the Steelers from improving their squad
If I’m not mistaken I thought that the Steelers will be on the hook for some salary whether he’s traded or not…could have misread the information
They will be, yes, but only for next season if he is traded. If not, that hit just keeps rolling over. So trade him and be done with it, instead of trying to play hardball and hamstringing your cap for multiple seasons
Bell n brown are down right POS people who think there gods gift to football. The patriots roster should show you it doesn’t take a player of there caliber to win a Super Bowl. Chemistry goes a lot farther then talent. I really hope they either A trade him to a horrible team where he has no chance to ever win again and make his money, or prove a point n sit him (while paying him bc they can’t avoid that) and let any team who wants him be weary he hasn’t played in xyz long. The Steelers are turning that franchise into a joke which again I’m ok with, but dang they need to control there players!
They have Brady and that’s why they win. When he retires that all goes away including chemistry.
3 times in this post you used “there” instead of “their”.
Nice education.
Their* caliber
*they’re football gods
Since the grammar police is out, I’ll add that is it “further” not “farther”.
That is it?
Another day another Kardashian’s episode
Don’t want either in Philly…
Nothing says team first like quitting.
But he didnt quit?
There is nothing wrong with asking to be traded. Why are you making it out to be that it is?
He picked a fight about not being named team MVP and then bolted. Hard to go back into the locker room after that temper tantrum.
Wrong! Nothing to do with team MVP. Also, why would someone as selfish as Brown care about an award that has no monetary value? A few players have come out and confirmed that he had beef with Ben. Brown’s an idiot for skipping practice, but no need to make up stuff just to make yourself look good
Oh right, fair point. Forgot that him not playing the last game was probably on his end rather than the coaches end. That said, I dont think we’ll ever get to know how the conversations in the locker room really went and what they were about.
It’s like the same people that post totally false info. Even Players have said it was a blow up between AB and Ben and nothing to do with any team MVP. I guess it makes people feel better to post lies. Oh well…
Yeah who would ever think you’d see rumors on a page totally geared to Pro Football RUMORS? Players would never try and cover up what really happened in a way to minimize the PR backlash. LOL. Believe what you want and you have a hissy fit, picking a fight with the face of the franchise and then taking your ball and going home….I’ll believe the reports I want to believe, either way I couldn’t care less, just don’t want to see him in Philly.
BUT….. the POLISH hammer knows what went on in practice, right? For someone that “couldn’t care less” you seem pretty invested. Who cares what you want? AB wouldn’t want to go there unless Foles is QB. At least he can find someone other than the TE. I’m sure Alston wants Foles to stay, but Good Luck repeating last years success with Bobby Brittle Bones at QB.
GLASS HOUSES….link to espn.com
Smashed troll doesn’t want to hear anybody else but somehow knows what AB and Alston think and want…LOL
PS: regarding BBB, damn poser, only played trough a shredded knee during the game and then played for weeks with a broken back.
Ok mister “ he picked a fight”. You might wanna worry about Philly’s locker room and how Wentz’s teammates HATE him already. It’s funny how the team took off when he got hurt. I guess they play harder when the QB isn’t playing favorites. I’ll take a guess at which QB ALSHON* wants to stay.
Funny how you claim the Steelers players contradicted the AB hissy fit and believed them but so many Wentz teammates and coaches went on record and called that article BS but did believe them in lieu of some anonymous coward or writer trying to float a story.
There’s a big difference between “asking to be traded” and throwing a temper tantrum and letting the world know that you hate playing for your current team. It weakens your team’s position and that isn’t right, especially when the team can tell you to screw because you’re under contract for 3 more years.
So many lessons come with the Patriots winning another SB:
-coaching still plays a huge role, in practice, on game day and in preparation
-playing as a team still is paramount to success
-Individual superstars really mean little if they don’t fit into the overall picture
And Brady sure makes it clear that guys like Roethlisberger, Flacco, Goff are second tier, at best.
I hate the Patriots but jeez, there’s no comparison between these franchises
Brady, Gronk are superstars
Please stop reporting la canfora the guy is like never right he is the worst inside man in the business…. I swear I hear better scoops from guys standing at bus stop waiting on the number 8
I’m not a Steelers fan but like some of the way they operate. But it seems like they have a lot of unhappy guys and tons of stuff getting to the media. Teammates calling each other and everything. It’s ok to have an opinion and not voice it to the media