The Antonio Brown situation in Pittsburgh seems like it’s heading towards the All-Pro receiver and the team parting ways. Despite the fact that Steelers owner Art Rooney II says everything other than releasing him is on the table as the franchise looks to get to a resolution in this ongoing saga, Brown’s mentor claims that he’s prepared to seek greener pastures.
During an interview with Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, Owens spoke about how Brown has “leaned on” him for advice over the last year. Owens believes that Brown’s looking for “a fresh start to go elsewhere and part ways with the organization and with some of the things than he and Ben [Roethlisberger] have been confronted with,” and when asked if Brown sees the writing on the wall in the Steel City, the Hall of Fame pass catcher confirmed that he does.
“Absolutely,” Owens said. “And I think it’s no secret now. I think everybody’s kind of just airing … putting their cards on the table. He wants to move on, I think that management knows that they want to at least try to maybe salvage, but at the same time, they want to get something in return if they do, in fact, release him or whatever the case may be. They don’t want to just let him go and get nothing in return.”
Brown has reportedly requested a trade from the team after, among other things, a confrontation occurred that led to him missing the final game of the season. It’s the latest example of the Steelers butting heads with a star player this year, as Pittsburgh was caught in a back-and-forth with star running back Le’Veon Bell, who held out this season with the hopes of getting a lucrative contract from the team.
