A few weeks ago it was leaked that superstar receiver Antonio Brown was unhappy with the Pittsburgh Steelers organization. Since then, the Steelers CEO has said that it is hard to see Brown in a Steelers jersey by training camp. Other Steelers have said they support Brown in whatever he decided to do. It was also leaked that Brown missed numerous practices or came late over the course of his career. The Steelers tolerated it but would stop being lenient once his production started to slip. One ex-teammate even said, "Tomlin could have fined AB every day if we wanted to."
Brown has not only been feuding with the Steelers brass, but also quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. "Big Ben" has publicly criticized Brown after games, and some people are pointing the blame at him. After a heart-crushing loss to the Broncos, Roethlisberger said that in clutch situations, they want to get the ball to breakout sophomore JuJu Smith-Schuster, not AB. Brown was clearly upset at these comments.
Following the season's end, there were very slight rumors of possible trade destinations for Brown. It was widely thought that this would be another one of AB's occasional blow-ups and that all would be right for the Steelers. However, this has certainly not happened. In fact, Pittsburgh is actively shopping Brown on the trade market.
Of all the candidates that were reportedly interested, San Fransisco seems to be Brown's choice. He has gotten in touch with 49ers legend Jerry Rice, and the two have had many conversations with each other. Brown posted a picture of a FaceTime he was in with Rice, and following the call, Rice said that Brown really wants to be here. Fellow legendary receiver Michael Irvin has also supported Brown going to the 49ers. Perhaps the most glaring indication that Brown wants to be in the Bay Area is an image he posted on his Instagram, with him in a 49ers jersey, hugging Jerry Rice.
For the 49ers, Antonio Brown would absolutely take them to the next level. They would certainly be a playoff contender, and with a few pieces defensively, could vie for the Super Bowl. The trio of Brown, George Kittle, and Jimmy Garroppolo, aided by Jerrick McKinnon and coached by offensive genius Kyle Shanahan would be terrifying. Kittle and Brown would easily form the league's best receiving tandem. The 49ers would make the NFC West the most competitive division in football, with the Rams and Seahawks already making the playoffs this year.
With every day, the prospect of dealing Brown gets more and more likely. Losing Brown and Le'veon Bell this offseason would mean an almost certain rebuild centered around James Conner and JuJu Smith-Schuster. Perhaps, if Big Ben retires, Mason Rudolph could step in and form the next trio for the Steelers.
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