The Antonio Brown seems to get messier by the week. Throughout the year, Brown squabbled with coach Mike Tomlin and franchise quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, resulting in a Week 17 meltdown and a trade demand. 
Obviously, from a talent perspective, there are 31 teams that would love to deal for Brown. However, his hefty contract complicates matters and the Steelers are not eager to trade one of the best wide receivers of all-time while taking on an astronomical cap hit. If the Steelers cut or trade Brown before June 1, the Steelers will incur more than $21MM in dead money on their salary cap and gain just over $1MM in new space. If he’s designated as a post-June 1 cut or traded after that date, Pittsburgh will take on roughly $7MM in dead money in 2019 and ~$14MM in 2020, which isn’t very palatable either.
Other teams may have reservations about Brown’s character as well. His well-publicized friction with Pittsburgh may be a red flag and, earlier this week, we learned that Brown was involved in a domestic dispute in January. The league is planning to investigate the incident and a suspension seems possible – that event will likely be taken into account along with other allegations, including an incident in Florida in which Brown was accused of throwing furniture off of a balcony.
Brown due a $2.5MM roster bonus on March 17, so the Steelers could look to deal him before that date. However, there are serious complications all around and the Steelers’ best bet may be to mend fences with the perennial Pro Bowler.
How do you see things playing out? Will Brown be a member of the Steelers in Week 1 of the 2019 season? Click below to cast your vote and let us know your thoughts in the comment section (link for app users):
Head coach stay
LBell come back
Brown stay
Thank You
The New England Patriots
Easier to make amends than to trade. And the Steelers truly should make amends. Brown is looking for sincerity and resolutions.
Brown is the issue.
Bingo
Something is going on with AB outside of football. He isn’t the same guy you used to see. Was never so temperamental in public before. And he isn’t looking for sincerity & resolutions. He got his big contract. Now he is looking for enablers to keep telling him whatever he does is fine. Used to be the Steelers let him have a different set of rules. Sounds like that will change if he stays in Pittsburgh. Problem is his agent & friends will never tell him he is in the wrong.
I hope they keep him. It’s crazy how quick this has happened. Last year was a frustrating year. Ben and brown seemed to have a good relationship. Nicknaming each other billy and Ronald, and not to mention the stats. It’d be a tough breakup and a big blow to the Steelers offense
Pittsburgh has become the joke of the off season. Every year they have some kind of drama going on we have to listen to. Just go to TV already and change your name to the Young and the Restless.
So basically you can deal more drugs than Tony Montana in Florida without worries but toss some junk from IKEA off your balcony and you are public enemy number one.
Don’t trade him, if he reports he plays and if not than he doesn’t get paid. This is much more in the Steelers favor than the Bell situation