The Pittsburgh Steelers have all but admitted that they are willing to listen to trade offers for Antonio Brown, but there is apparently still a chance he could remain with the team in 2019.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported on Sunday that the Steelers have not given Brown and his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, permission to work out a trade, but a parting of ways is “the preferred outcome.” However, Brown is not totally opposed to working things out with Pittsburgh.
Heading to ATL for @SuperBowl, the future of #Steelers WR Antonio Brown remains the dominant non-SB story. Where things stand: While a fresh start is now the preferred outcome, the team has not yet given Brown & his agent permission to facilitate a trade. It’s in the team’s hands
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 27, 2019
More on Antonio Brown: The #Steelers are exploring trade options, but Brown hasn’t closed the door on returning. He’s maintained a steady dialogue with some in the organization he’s close with to express that sentiment. Still, he should draw significant interest on the market.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 27, 2019
Brown essentially went AWOL in the final week of the regular season, and he has yet to show any remorse over the way the year ended. Steelers owner Art Rooney II said earlier this month that it’s hard to envision Brown returning to the team with the way things went, but it’s possible both sides could cool off and work things out.
While the distraction Brown created at the end of the season made the most headlines, he has had some other issues off the field over the past year. The Steelers don’t want to weaken their position by sounding desperate to trade him, but it seems like they are more than open to it.
