Tuesday afternoon’s tweet from Steelers receiver Antonio Brown suggests that there’s been a recent development between him and the Steelers. Per a league source, there hasn’t been.
However, the source says that Brown previously has requested a trade, and that Brown still wants one.
Brown is under contract for three seasons. He signed his most recent contract two years ago, and he has received more than $32 million from the team since then. Trading him before June 1 would trigger a cap charge of more than $21 million.
A sixth-round pick in 2010, Brown quickly became one of the best players on the team, winning the franchise’s MVP award four times. He reportedly stormed out of practice and remained away from the team in the days preceding the regular-season finale. When he tried to show up and play in the Week 17 game against the Bengals, coach Mike Tomlin refused the offer.
More than a month ago, owner Art Rooney II made it clear that a trade is possible, if not likely. Since then, the Steelers have yet to get a trade offer that would prompt them to reach a tentative agreement that would be finalized on the first day of the league year in March.