An incredible profile from ESPN takes a hard look at the situation between Antonio Brown and the Steelers.
Brown and his team have pretty much descended into pure chaos, and odds are that he won’t be with the team next season. The superstar wide receiver skipped the final game of the season, and has been publicly beefing with multiple people. (RELATED: Antonio Brown Didn’t Play For The Steelers After Skipping Practice)
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Unsurprisingly, this just didn’t all start over night. According to the ESPN profile, Brown has been an issue for some time. The sports network wrote the following in its deep dive into the situation:
Several say Brown routinely showed up late to team meetings that set up the upcoming game week. If he was loosely on time, he might be the last one to walk through the door. One player went as far to say he didn’t see Brown once in the Wednesday morning meetings during his one season with the team.
Players say Tomlin has a fine system that can range from $1,000 to more than $5,000. Brown, who has a $72.7 million contract and millions more in endorsements, remained unfazed. Two players recalled Brown and receiver Eli Rogers — once nicknamed “Little A.B.” by some teammates — walking into the same meeting a few minutes late. Both were told to sit down, but they only remember Rogers getting fined.
Well, can you really be shocked when a player has diva tendencies when you let him show up late to meetings? Seems like you’re sending the signal that rules don’t matter.
The same profile also reported that Brown didn’t have to stay in dorms during the training camp with everybody else, but had his own house. Again, there’s no better way to create division than to treat one player different than the rest. (RELATED: The Patriots Will Face The Rams In The Super Bowl)
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The moment Brown skipped the final game of the year, the Steelers should have gotten rid of him immediately. You can’t keep a guy that isn’t fully committed to the process. You just can’t do it.
Will a team send over a great trade offer? Who knows, but he has to go. I’d cut him at this point and try to find a way to void whatever guaranteed money he has remaining.
What an utter disaster for all the sides involved.