Veteran wide receiver Antonio Brown remains under contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers. While his desire to leave his current team has been made clear, the situation means other NFL organizations aren't allowed to publicly discuss their interest (or lack of interest) in Brown.
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan didn't fall into that trap when he was asked about the frustrated receiver on Wednesday.
"It's my easiest response there is," Shanahan told reporters on hand in Mobile, Alabama via NBC Sports Bay Area. "I'm not allowed to talk about someone who's under contract."
The 49ers staff is there to coach the South squad during Saturday's Senior Bowl. While Shanahan avoided discussing Brown specifically, he did add that the 49ers will "always explore everything."
Shanahan may not be able to discuss Brown, but Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice can do so, which he has done on multiple occasions. Rice confirmed earlier this month that Brown has a strong desire to play for Shanahan and the 49ers.
"Yeah, he wants to come here really bad," Rice said during an interview on 95.7 The Game. "He's talking about running the hill with me, doing all that, and just working out, just picking my brain."
Rice also shared his opinion on what Brown can bring to the 49ers offense.
"He's got maybe five or more good years in him," Rice said during a later interview, "and he can take this offense to a whole different level along with [quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo] and (tight end) George Kittle."
While NFL teams can discuss and agree to trades right now, nothing can become official until the start of the new league year on March 13. Steelers president Art Rooney II has already said that he can't envision Brown being with Pittsburgh when players report to training camp in July.
Jason La Canfora reported on January 12 that the Steelers are expecting a first-round pick in exchange for Brown, with discussions expected to ramp up at the NFL Scouting Combine next month.
The 49ers own the No. 2 overall pick in April's draft and currently own just five selections this year.