Ex-Steeler James Harrison defends Antonio Brown in Instagram post
Antonio Brown could see his tenure with the Pittsburgh Steelers come to a sour note the same way James Harrison’s did last year, so it is no surprise the former linebacker is going out of his way to support Brown amid a flurry of criticism.
While Steelers coach Mike Tomlin was holding a press conference on Wednesday to address some of the issues surrounding Brown and the team, the star wide receiver appeared on Harrison’s Instagram story and the two teased an upcoming “exclusive” interview.
Antonio Brown about to have an "exclusive interview" with former #Steelers LB James Harrison. [Via Instagram]
James Harrison has been highly critical of Mike Tomlin.pic.twitter.com/uZhLDXliHr
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) January 2, 2019
We’re still waiting on that interview, and it may never actually happen. However, Harrison did take to Instagram again on Thursday to write a lengthy post supporting Brown.
“(Antonio Brown) is my brother – that means family – and to me, a family member is not defined or measured by the deeds they do, the title they hold or the company they work for,” Harrison wrote. “My love and support for my brothers/family doesn’t stop when I disagree, argue or fight wt them. The fact that I consider you family means just the opposite, I’m there for you. And I’m allowed – not just allowed – I’m EXPECTED to be there for you and to give you my opinion whether you agree or disagree. And I expect you to give me yours as well. Why is AB hanging wt James Harrison? The same reason that Brett Keisel, Ike Taylor, Ryan Clark, Larry Foote, Ben Roethlisberger, Troy Polamalu, DeAngelo Williams, Ryan Shazier, Vince Williams, and others do… These are my brothers, and brothers shoot the s—!”
The fact that Brown was hanging out with Harrison and essentially bragging about it confirmed what we already knew — that Brown and Tomlin are at odds. Pittsburgh waived Harrison last year, and the longtime Steeler ripped Tomlin and the team for misleading him about what his role would be. He then signed with the rival New England Patriots and continued trying to make Tomlin look bad after he retired.
For what it’s worth, Brown is reportedly having issues with some of his current teammates in addition to Tomlin. If players are choosing sides, it sounds like they are not all taking Brown’s.
