Antonio Brown and the Pittsburgh Steelers have agreed that it's in the best interest of both player and team if the superstar wide receiver continues his career elsewhere going forward.

As he waits for the Steelers to honor his trade request, though, someone in the know believes Brown had a different means of departure from Pittsburgh initially in mind.

According to Andrew Fillipponi of CBS Sports and 93.7 The Fan, an anonymous agent told him Brown and powerhouse agent Drew Rosenhaus were angling for the six-time Pro Bowler to be cut when he first asked to be traded.

“He was trying to get cut,” FIllipponi said on Tuesday, per 247 Sports, repeating the words of another league agent. “It had [Drew] Rosenhaus finger prints all over it. AB was following the T.O. script. It didn't work. Now he waits for a trade.”

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Brown frequently clashed with Pittsburgh players and coaches last season, including superstar quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and longtime coach Mike Tomlin.

He had 104 catches, 1,297 receiving yards, and a league-leading 15 touchdowns, though, lending credence to the notion that the 30-year-old will continue playing at an elite level as his prime continues to fade.

Brown officially requested a trade from the Steelers earlier this month. Though the team was initially reluctant to honor his wishes, the situation changed last week after Brown met with Steelers owner Art Rooney II.

The San Francisco 49ers and New York Jets are expected by league insiders to be among the many teams interested in trading for Brown before next season kicks off.