Pittsburgh Steelers: Could Le’Veon Bell or Antonio Brown return?

Antonio Brown, WR

A reunion with Antonio Brown seems unlikely for Pittsburgh, at least as long as the current regime is there. Brown did not play in Pittsburgh’s Week 17 matchup in 2018 because the receiver ghosted the team earlier in the week. The absence kicked off a dramatic series that ruined the wide receiver’s credibility and Hall of Fame chances.

Brown demanded a trade from Pittsburgh during the 2019 offseason, despite receiving a four-year, $68 million contract extension in 2017. The Steelers traded Brown to the Oakland Raiders for third- and fifth-round picks. At the time, the deal looked like a steal for Oakland, except it later turned into a steal for Pittsburgh because Brown never played a regular-season game in the silver and black.

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Brown signed a three-year, $50.125 million restructured contract extension with Oakland before dealing with helmet drama and getting in an altercation with the team’s general manager, Mike Mayock. Despite support from Derek Carr, Jon Gruden and other teammates, Brown demanded out of Oakland.

The embattled wide receiver signed with the New England Patriots but got released after one game thanks to texting a woman accusing him of unwanted sexual advances intimidating messages. At the same time, Britney Taylor, Brown’s ex-trainer, was accusing him of sexual assault.

More drama ensued throughout the season, and the free-agent wide receiver ultimately got arrested for felony burglary with battery. He did get released from jail. Now, he’s just getting hit in the head by weights.

Teams cannot look past Brown’s erratic and unacceptable behavior in 2019. However, the 31-year-old still appears to be in good shape. He always had an intense workout routine. Even now, Brown could return as a top-10 or 15 wide receiver. However, it’s still too soon and Brown might face a suspension once returning to the league.

Brown also started beef with Roethlisberger while he was on his way out of Pittsburgh. On Twitter, Brown said Roethlisberger possessed an owner’s mentality and that no one could criticize him about it. He later added that he and Big Ben were never friends and told the future Hall of Fame quarterback to shut up. Brown has since apologized for his comments to Roethlisberger.

With his current reputation and how things ended in Pittsburgh, the Steelers cannot bring Brown back for 2020. Any team that signs Brown will likely face a lot of criticism and the Steelers tend to avoid those moves. However, if Brown stays clean, don’t rule anything out for 2021.