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 might 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, that the
Steelers had enough. 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.
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