The Pittsburgh Steelers have no plans to release disgruntled wide receiver Antonio Brown, but team president Art Rooney II doesn't envision him being with the team when players report to training camp in July. Rooney says that "all other options are on the table," which indicates that the Steelers are willing to trade Brown.
The report comes from Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, who tweeted out the following on Thursday afternoon.
BREAKING: Steelers president Art Rooney II said he s not going to release Antonio Brown, but "all other options are on the table." He would not say Steelers are going to trade their All-Pro receiver, but left no doubt that is a strong possibility. Story coming soon on PG site.
— Gerry Dulac (@gerrydulac) January 10, 2019
In an interview with PG, Rooney even went so far as to say it would be "hard to envision" Antonio Brown being with the Steelers when they report to training camp in July.
— Gerry Dulac (@gerrydulac) January 10, 2019
Brown has been itching to get out of Pittsburgh and has even shown a desire to play for head coach Kyle Shanahan and the San Francisco 49ers. Brown recently unfollowed his current team on social media and started following the 49ers, several of its players, and liked 49ers-related content, especially content which pushed a Brown-to-San-Francisco message.
Brown remains under contract with the Steelers through the 2021 season. A trade or release would be costly for the Steelers but may be the best solution for both the organization and the player.
"If we decide something has to be done, we'll figure out how to deal with [the salary cap implications]," Rooney told Dulac.
Brown missed the team's 2018 finale against the Cincinnati Bengals. There were reports from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette of a confrontation with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and Brown skipping out on team meetings and practices leading to the game. The receiver was also a no-show for the Steelers' final meeting and a personal evaluation session with head coach Mike Tomlin the day after the game.
Brown has reportedly refused to return calls from Rooney and Tomlin.
"There's not much we can do right now; we have time to make a decision," Rooney said. "We'll look at all the options. We're not going to release him, that's not on the table. But I will say all other options are on the table.
"Whether the situation can be reconciled and have him back on the team next year, we're a long way away from thinking that can happen. We're not closing the door on anything at this point."
The four-time first-team All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowl selection has led the NFL in receptions twice (2014, 2015) and receiving yards twice (2014, 2017). Brown registered 104 receptions with a league-leading 15 receiving touchdowns through 15 games in 2018, and he has reached the 1,000-yard receiving mark in seven of his nine NFL seasons.
The 49ers could use a true No. 1 receiver on offense and Brown would undoubtedly be a significant addition for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. However, Brown will be 31 when the 2019 season kicks off so if the asking price is too high, San Francisco may not be interested.
The 49ers currently own just five selections in this year's draft, including the No. 2 overall, and are predicted to receive a compensatory sixth-round selection.