The Pittsburgh Steelers managed to miss out on the NFL playoffs this past season, thanks in part to the tumultuous locker room atmosphere that continues to swirl to this day. With running back Le'Veon Bell missing the entire season due to an ongoing contract dispute, Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown then requested a trade away from Pittsburgh.

According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, such a trade is prudent for the Steelers moving forward.

“The Steelers trade Antonio Brown as soon as possible after seriously contemplating releasing him outright,” writes Fowler. “Trading Brown for a high draft pick is the prudent move, but a deal can't be finalized until March 13, and the team might be ready to move on now after news of a domestic dispute surfaced this week. Releasing him with a post-June 1 designation would save around $15 million in salary-cap space. That's awfully tempting for an organization that needs to reset its standard for tolerance after Brown's repeated struggles.”

Brown has become one of, if not the best, wide receivers in the entire league. Why trade such a player? Well, for several reasons.

RECOMMENDED (Article Continues Below)
Justin Fields surrounded by piles of cash.

Nihad Zunic ·

Not only could Brown garner quite the haul in return for his services, but his departure could allow the Steelers to start fresh in 2019-20.

With quarterback Ben Roethlisberger knocking on the door of retirement and the aforementioned Bell all but done in Pittsburgh, the Steelers could let wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and running back James Conner take over the whole operation with “Big Ben” transitioning out of the city simultaneously.