Just in case Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown didn't make it clear from his social media activity that he would rather play for the San Francisco 49ers, Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice left no doubts during a Monday morning interview on 95.7 The Game.
Rice and Brown have been in contact and had a discussion via FaceTime over the weekend.
"Yeah, he wants to come here really bad," Rice said. "He's talking about running the hill with me, doing all that, and just working out, just picking my brain."
Another Hall of Fame player wants to know why Brown wants so badly to go to a team which has won just 10 games over the last two seasons.
Deion Sanders said on NFL Network Tuesday that he thinks a Brown-to-49ers scenario makes sense financially for the frustrated receiver. After all, the 49ers are projected to have over $60 million in salary cap room this offseason and can comfortably absorb Brown's contract.
In fact, according to Pro Football Talk, Brown's contract is desirable considering his value. He is due under $39 million over the next three seasons after earning over $33 million over the past two.
Unless money is his sole motivation, Sanders doesn't believe Brown should be interested in the 49ers at all if he hopes to finish his career with a winning organization.
"The 49ers aren't going to win a Super Bowl no time soon," Sanders said. "They're the third-best team in their division. Now, if AB wants to get paid, and I know he does, that's one thing to think about. But if you really want to win and have an opportunity at that next level, he's going to have to find (another team).
"Jacksonville can emerge. Dallas, they are already almost there. There's a couple of teams in the mix that's almost at that pivotal point to get you into the Super Bowl or deep in the playoffs, and he's that missing link.
"But no, not San Francisco."
Sanders goes on to state that even with the emergence of George Kittle and a healthy Jimmy Garoppolo, Jerick McKinnon, and Matt Breida, the 49ers are still the third-best team in the NFC West behind the Los Angeles Rams and the Seattle Seahawks.
The 49ers won just one division matchup in 2018 — a late-season overtime victory at home against the Seahawks.