Subscribe
Follow Us
On Friday morning, the Pittsburgh Steelers were reportedly nearing a deal to send Antonio Brown to the Buffalo Bills before things fell apart at the last minute.
Rumor had it that the trade fell through because Brown did not want to go to the Bills, but that may not have been the only reason that Pittsburgh and Buffalo could not reach an agreement.
According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, Brown is aiming to be the highest-paid wide receiver in the league under a new contract that he would eventually receive from his new team.
Breer reports that that development caused another team to walk out of trade discussions for the disgruntled wide out earlier in the week, and he adds that it was also a factor in the Bills' deal coming apart.
Given the fact that Brown will be 31 years old at the start of next season, it makes sense that teams are a bit bearish on making him the highest-paid receiver in football.
His off-the-field issues likely serve as a deterrent, as well.
While Brown is still one of the top wide outs in the league, as evidenced by the fact that he hauled in 104 receptions for 1,297 yards and a league-leading 15 touchdowns en route to his sixth straight Pro Bowl appearance this past season, he was a divisive figure in the Steelers' locker room.
Of course, the biggest story surrounding Brown is how he went AWOL on the team in the week leading up to Pittsburgh's season finale against the Cincinnati Bengals, resulting in Brown getting benched for the affair.
