Antonio Brown has come out swinging against Ben Roethlisberger
By Erik Lambert
People have tried to decipher the flash point that led to Antonio Brown declaring his clear intent to force his way out of Pittsburgh.
Was it the coaching staff? Management? Ownership? Well all of those things have played a part. However, it would seem that everything can be traced back to his quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. It sounds crazy. Brown wouldn’t be the most prolific wide receiver in the NFL of the past eight years and the best in franchise history without having Big Ben under center. One would think they’d be extra tight. Yet it seems to be the opposite.
The first signs that something was going on came when Brown liked a pair of tweets calling Roethlisberger out for his rape allegations of two women back in 2010. Something he was never charged with but remains a hot topic of discussion. Brown apparently took issue with the idea that the Steelers should dump him began he too has been accused of hitting women and yet the quarterback is bulletproof from such matters.
Then on Saturday, February 16th Brown finally spoke out on what exactly his beef is with Roethlisberger. He seems to feel the quarterback thinks himself beyond reproach. Nobody can criticize him because of his standing in the organization. If they do, they’re gone.
No conflict just a matter of respect! Mutual respect! He has a owner mentality like he can call out anybody including coaches. Players know but they can’t say anything about it otherwise they meal ticket gone. It’s a dirty game within a game. #truth https://t.co/MsSyBVd3Ny
— AB (@AB84) February 16, 2019
Antonio Brown is burning his bridge and probably knows it
Perhaps he’s using this knowledge to his advantage at this point. Knowing that an attack on Roethlisberger would likely garner punishment from the organization, he’s made it his mission to do so because he obviously wants out. This may be the quickest way to do so. Maybe not the classiest way to go about it, but certainly an effective one based on the buzz coming out of Pittsburgh of late.
Everybody is convinced it’s only a matter of time before Brown is gone. His future is up in the air. Odds are he’ll be traded somewhere. Given how personal this situation is getting, the Steelers may end up swinging a deal with a team that Brown has no desire to play for. Remember he’s under contract until 2021. So he wouldn’t have any say over where he lands. His lone option would be to threaten sitting out the year if certain teams trade for him.
The problem is he turns 31-years old in July. The luxury of time is not on his side. Combine that with the constant off-the-field drama, he may not have the healthy market waiting for him that he might think.