Steelers owner Art Rooney II has previously said it is “hard to envision” wide receiver Antonio Brown playing for the team this year, but he may be softening that stance.
Asked today by a Steelers fan about Brown returning to the team in 2019, Rooney didn’t rule it out, instead indicating it would depend on whether Brown could convince the team there wouldn’t be a repeat of the antics that got Brown benched for the final game of 2018.
“There are a lot of factors we have to take into account on it,” Rooney said, via the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “We’d have to sit down with Antonio and understand where he is and make sure he understands where we are. There is some work to do before we figure that out.”
That doesn’t sound like Rooney is eager to keep Brown, but it also doesn’t sound like he has ruled out a return, either. Rooney at least seems to be opening the door for the possibility that Brown could remain in Pittsburgh -- especially if the Steelers don’t get any good trade offers.