Thursday, January 24, 2019

POUNCEY, JUJU WOULD WELCOME BROWN BACK TO STEELERS


Is Antonio Brown staying in Pittsburgh or is he leaving? Depends on what you read, who you ask and how you interpret what they say.
Steelers president Art Rooney II has said he's open to trading Brown. The wide receiver has gone radio-silent for the most part, save for a Twitter beef with Emmanuel Sanders and a few Instagrams, including one of him shaking Rooney's hand and one in which he is sporting a golden mustache.
According to Brown's Pro Bowl teammates, the receiver is welcome back on the team, despite the end-of-season drama he manifested. While Brown has not spoken to any of his fellow Steelers since leaving their Week 17 win at halftime, longtime Pittsburgh center Maurkice Pouncey said it wouldn't be hard to patch things up.
Brown reportedly got in an argument with Roethlisberger during a walk-through leading up to Pittsburgh's final game, a "blowup" that precipitated Brown's absence from the team. Big Ben and Rooney have denied this incident took place, as did Pouncey on Wednesday, telling reporters, "Things that were reported didn't happen."
Brown's receiving partner, JuJu Smith-Schuster, who was voted team MVP over and took the Pro Bowl place of Brown, also said he would like to see the four-time All-Pro receiver return to the organization.
Trade discussions regarding Brown with other teams have not begun, Rooney has said, but rumors are abound. NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported two weeks ago that the ColtsJets49ers and Broncos are all considered to be suitors.
Meanwhile, Pouncey and some of his fellow Steelers are hopeful that Brown stays in Pittsburgh, where he has already forged relationships and helped establish a winning culture.

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