After a disappointing end to their 2018 campaign, the Pittsburgh Steelers have many critical decisions that will need to be made.
With an aging future Hall of Fame quarterback at the helm, what should the front office do to assure they don’t waste Ben Roethlisberger’s final years? What needs to be done in order to keep their Super Bowl window open? Will the Steelers stick with their typical ways of handling the off-season? Will they think outside of the box and be more aggressive than normal? Over a series of these articles, NFL Fan Blitz will outline a specific issue facing the team and the options the team has available.
The biggest question facing Pittsburgh: What to do with Antonio Brown?
Unfortunately, this is a question that must be asked. Whatever the reason for this bizarre series of events, one thing is certain; Brown and the Steelers are not happy with one another. Many reports have stated Brown wants out of Pittsburgh. This leaves the Steelers with two main options.
They could actively seek a trade partner and sell Brown to the highest bidder. This would give both sides a fresh start, which might not be a bad idea. Yes, they would lose the best WR in the league, but it would probably land them a very good player, draft picks, or both. They would also dump a large salary from their books in 2020.
Or, they could force Brown to honor the remaining three years on his deal and stay in Pittsburgh. This would mean Brown possibly remains a Steeler until 2022. It would also guarantee his exceptional abilities would be at their disposal for the 2019-20 season. This could be the best option to avoid wasting another of Roethlisberger’s final seasons.
However, can the Steelers trust Brown to show up and not be a distraction off the field??
This is a difficult question to answer. On the field, Antonio Brown is the model of consistency. Off the field is a different story. These past 12 months have been eventful off the field for Brown.
First comes the story of him throwing furniture from a high rise balcony. Then there’s the 100 mph speeding incident. Next, we get the no-show to practices at the end of the year that resulted in Brown missing the final game of the season. On top of all that, Brown continues to stir the pot with numerous cryptic social media posts.
Today’s photoshopped picture of Brown in a 49ers uniform hugging Jerry Rice is just the latest example. All of this makes it really hard to see Brown as a player that should be trusted.
If a player doesn’t want to be on a team how can you keep him? Brown has shown a clear desire to continue his career in another city. How can the Steelers honestly think AB will come to work every day and give maximum effort without rocking the boat.
If he wants out that badly, the only choice the Steelers have is to get all they can for him and move on. The fractures appear to run very deep. It’s really hard to envision keeping Brown as the optimal situation for this franchise.
Owner Art Rooney II has made comments that could be interpreted as a definite lean towards trading Brown. In recent days he has gradually walked back those comments, leading some to believe Brown might not be on his way out.
It’s hard to believe a man as intelligent as Art Rooney would show his cards and risk losing some leverage if he did indeed plan on dealing Brown. It’s really hard to gauge exactly where ownership stands at this point.
One thing is certain, there is no shortage of speculation about this topic. Ex-players and teammates are coming out of the woodwork to grab a share of the spotlight and share their personal AB stories. This saga should be interesting to monitor, and the Steelers should look to resolve it as soon as possible.
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