Steelers preparing to trade Antonio Brown?

Could Antonio Brown’s latest transgression spell the end of his tenure with the Pittsburgh Steelers?

As the football world digested the news about Brown being benched for the Steelers’ pivotal season finale over an altercation with Ben Roethlisberger and the skipped practices that followed, some within the game wondered if past actions the organization has taken may indicate that Brown’s time is up as a member of the organization.

NFL Network’s Aditi Kinkhabwala reported Monday that an executive had texted her to compare Brown’s current situation with that of former Steeler Santonio Holmes, who was traded to the New York Jets in 2010 after four seasons marred by legal trouble. She wondered if that might foreshadow Pittsburgh’s handling of Brown this offseason.

“Santonio Holmes was given many, many chances here in Pittsburgh until Mike Tomlin and GM Kevin Colbert finally said, we’ve had enough,” Kinkhabwala said on NFL Network. “And then Santonio Holmes was let go, obviously. So now in this situation, Mike Tomlin loves to say, ‘We will tolerate you until we can replace you.'”

The Steelers now have JuJu Smith-Schuster, who is rapidly developing into a standout wide receiver. That, coupled with Brown’s latest issues, may be enough to motivate the Steelers to part ways with their star receiver, who has been in trouble multiple times this season.

Brown will be 31 in July and is signed through 2021 as part of a five-year deal. He is due a $2.5 million roster bonus on March 17.

It’s speculation at this point, but what is clear is that things simply cannot continue the way they have.