Steelers Respond To Antonio Brown Begging To Return
The Pittsburgh Steelers responded to Antonio Brown essentially begging to return by basically closing the door on that possibility once and for all.
Brown has been on a crazy roller coaster ride over the past two years. It all started when he forced his way off the Steelers for reasons that, to date, are still unclear.
At that point he found himself traded to the then-Oakland Raiders. He spent an offseason with the Raiders before wearing out his welcome there as well. Ultimately, he was waived.
The 31-year-old then promptly signed with the New England Patriots, played exactly one game with them and then got himself cut over a sexual assault allegation.
Brown has been out of the league since September 2019.
In early 2020, Brown began an apology tour of sorts. He offered kind words to the Steelers, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, Raiders head coach Jon Gruden, quarterback Tom Brady and many others with whom he has had various relationships with over the past few years.
While at the NFL Scouting Combine this past week, Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert was asked about a potential reunion with his old wide receiver.
Steelers GM Kevin Colbert: “We’re worried about Antonio Brown the person. … He’ll always be one of us.”
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) February 25, 2020
“We’re always going to be concerned about Antonio Brown, the person,” he responded.
“We have moved on from Antonio Brown, and Coach Tomlin addressed that the last time he spoke with the media.
“We’re worried about Antonio Brown, the person. He will always be a Steeler in that regard, but in that regard only.”
Colbert’s statement is similar to the sentiments expressed by head coach Mike Tomlin during a recent appearance on ESPN’s First Take.
“I’ll say this: once a Steeler, always a Steeler,” he said at the time.
“We had great success over the course of nine-plus years with Antonio. We’re always going to be interested in his growth and development as a man and we’ll be open to assisting him in that, but we have no current business interest at this time.”
Brown currently ranks second in Steelers history as it pertains to receptions, yards and touchdowns. It is clear why his name gets brought up as it pertains to a possible reunion.
That said, based on everything Colbert and Tomlin have said to date, it is clear that nobody within Pittsburgh’s organization has any desire to give Brown a second chance again.
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Charles Kruger has been credentialed to cover two Super Bowls, four NBA Finals, and one World Series. A 20-year veteran in the sports world, he has sources spanning the NBA, MLB, NFL, UFC and NASCAR. Currently residing in Los Angeles, Calif., he is Game 7’s go-to source for rumors surrounding the Lakers, Clippers and Dodgers.
