Now that wide receiver Antonio Brown is officially ready to move on from the Pittsburgh Steelers; the bidding war has seemingly been kicked up a notch. It is safe to say that there will be no shortage of interest for the seven-time Pro Bowler.

Of course, the Steelers know full well what Brown brings to the table and what his value wi worth on the market. According to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, they will make sure his talents end up as far away from the Steelers as possible:

They want him but can't have him. Steelers won't deal him to NE, BAL, CLE or CIN. Kinda like how Belichick wouldn't deal Jimmy G to CLE

Rumors should always be taken with a grain of salt. However, it is easy to see why this one would be true. Brown established himself as the best wide receiver in the league during his nine years in Pittsburgh. The last thing the Steelers need is to be reminded of the talent they once had by potentially squaring up with him in the playoffs.

As a result, it is safe to assume that the front office will not be taking any calls from the New England Patriots or any of the teams in the NFC North. Brown would certainly look to be a hot commodity for any of these organizations since they have become awfully familiar with his work over the years.

Although the Steelers may have decided to limit the market, they will still receive a bevy of quality offers from teams in need of some help at wide receiver. The odds to acquire Brown's services have seemingly tipped in favor of teams in the NFC.