Buffalo Bills GM Brandon Beane says trade talks between his team and the Pittsburgh Steelers involving Antonio Brown have fallen apart, and new reports suggest Brown was the one who nixed the trade.
According to Gerry Dulac, who covers the Steelers for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazzette, the two sides had “positive trade talks” late Thursday, but the “deal fell apart because Antonio Brown nixed going to Buffalo.”
A statement from the Bills doesn’t say what caused the two teams to break off talks, but says the team has “moved on” and turned its focus to free agency.
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer added that sources say “Brown was clear that he didn’t want to go to Buffalo,” and that there are “very few options left,” for the Steelers to trade Brown.
Despite a strong season on the field for Brown – the 30-year-old led the NFL with a single-season franchise record 15 touchdown receptions – the relationship between the player and club soured as the 2018 season came to an end. What began as rumblings of discontent quickly unravelled into a very public feud, with Brown venting his frustrations and opening up about clashes with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and head coach Mike Tomlin on social media and during television appearances.
An attempt to clear the air was made last month when Brown finally agreed to sit down with Steelers owner Art Rooney II, with No. 84 tweeting afterwards they “both agreed that it is time to move on.”
In the nine seasons since being drafted in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL Draft, Brown has worked to become the best wide receiver in the league, recording more than 11,000 receiving yards and 74 career receiving touchdowns while earning All-Pro honours four times.
[relatedlinks]
