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Antonio Brown is fed up with the Steelers and has requested a trade, according to one report:
Antonio Brown has requested a trade. Im told it was not a demand but he has asked to be dealt. Very unlikely Rooney would capitulate. Brown has issues with Mike Tomlin and Ben Roethlisberger. Feels like the coach is too aligned with the QB.
— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) January 1, 2019
NFL insider Ian Rapoport is singing a slightly different tune, suggesting Brown is indeed upset but hasn't officially requested a trade just yet:
My understanding of the situation surrounding #Steelers WR Antonio Brown: As he exited the field in frustration on Wednesday, he yelled, "I’m done!" Then wondered why they don’t trade him. More venting in anger than anything. He has not made any actual trade request, officially.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 1, 2019
Brown sat out the Week 17 game against the Cincinnati Bengals, which was seen as unusual. Initially, it was reported that Brown sat out the game due to an injury. Later, however, it was revealed that Brown sat out practice during the week after a dispute with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
Brown and Roethlisberger initially came to blows last Wednesday during practice. According to reports, Brown got so frustrated with Roethlisberger that he threw a ball in the quarterback's general direction.
As a result of the altercation, Antonio Brown stomped off from practice. He then refused to take his teammate's calls and didn't come to subsequent meetings.
This isn't the first time that Antonio Brown has made headlines about Steelers trade rumors. Back in September, he made headlines when he took to Twitter to respond to a troll posing as a member of the Steelers PR team, wherein he challenged the team to “trade him.”
The tweet was subsequently deleted, but that hasn't stopped the trade rumors from blazing since then.
And while Brown's tweet called down some consternation from the Steelers brass, they ultimately have turned a blind eye because, frankly, Brown is one of the best wide receivers in the NFL right now.
It is unlikely that the Steelers will trade him, even though JuJu Smith-Schuster and tight end Vance McDonald can well serve to pick up the slack should Antonio Brown get traded.
