Antonio Brown Stopped Trade to the Bills

There can be no doubt that Antonio Brown is one of the most talented wide receivers in the National Football League. His numbers during his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers speak for themselves. He has never had a bad season. In 2018, he scored 15 touchdowns to lead the NFL. What is even more impressive about that number is that he did not play in the final game of the season. The bad news is that Brown has become a huge distraction off the field. He has complained many times about his contract. He wants to be the highest paid wide receiver in the league. He has also requested that the Steelers trade him.

USA Today reports that Brown met with Steelers owner Art Rooney a couple of weeks ago and they both agreed that it would be in the best interests of both parties if they each went their separate ways. The Steelers have been actively trying to trade Brown ever since then. However, Brown’s constant antics on social media have made that very difficult to do. He has posted several videos that did not put him in a very positive light. The Steelers thought they had worked out a deal that would have sent Brown to the Buffalo Bills. However, that deal fell apart when Brown refused to go to Buffalo. Brown does not have a no-trade clause in his contract. However, the Steelers seem like they will only trade Brown if he is happy with the team he will be going to.

The Steelers have all of the power over Brown. He is under contract for the next three years. They could tell him that he is going to stay in Pittsburgh and play. Otherwise, he will not be paid. Not only that, he will also need to pay back more than $11 million of his signing bonus that he received two years ago. However, it seems apparent that the Steelers have written off Brown and consider him to be a lost cause. They are trying to get rid of him before the 17th of March. This is when he will be owed a roster bonus of nearly $3 million.

At this point, there are not many options left when it comes to unloading Brown. He is on the wrong side of 30, he has clear behavioral issues and he wants to have a new contract. These are not things that will get teams excited.