HOUSTON — With rumors swirling that he could be on the trade block this offseason, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown made it clear he is not happy with the media for reports that he is a selfish player.
“I don’t think my reputation or how I relate to guys in the locker room or my play on the field ever should have been a question,” Brown said Thursday on Fox Sports during Super Bowl LI week. “We’re talking about a championship game that people don’t get a chance to experience over the course of our career. To say I wasn’t running the right route or to say that I was mad about us scoring a touchdown, that’s just disheartening.”
“Who does that?,” Brown continued. “As the media, it’s your job to tell the truth and give people fundamental facts of the reality of things. Sometimes those things can be misconstrued from being in the position I’m in and people just want to create stories.”
Brown was responding to reports that the Steelers viewed him as a selfish player and were unhappy with how he was acting on the sideline during the team’s loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game.
Super Bowl LI Storylines
“I just think when you’re under that microscope, people are going to try to paint that picture and create hype and put that type of attention on you,” Brown said. “I think they took a wrong picture – a picture from a whole other play – and put that picture next to the touchdown play and said I was upset.”
The reports, combined with the team punishing Brown for live streaming on Facebook a locker room celebration after a playoff win, has led to speculation that the Steelers could place him on the trade block.
Brown is one of the best receivers in the league, and finished the regular season with 106 catches for 1,284 yards and 12 touchdowns. In 2017, however, Brown will be entering the final year of his contract, and he likely will seek a contract worthy of one of the NFL’s top receivers.
Carson Wentz at Super Bowl
If the Steelers are souring on Brown, trading him would allow them to get something in return before risking he would leave as a free agent.
The price for Brown, 28, will likely begin with a first-round pick, and if teams get in on the bidding war, it could go higher. Of course, a team that trades for Brown would have to give him a long-term deal, too.
Could the Eagles get involved?
Wide receiver is one of the Eagles’ most pressing needs, and Howie Roseman has promised to address the weakness this offseason. With quarterback in Carson Wentz to build around, adding better receivers should be a top priority.
If Brown does indeed hit the trade block, expect the Eagles to make a call.
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Eliot Shorr-Parks may be reached at eshorrpa@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @EliotShorrParks. Find NJ.com Eagles on Facebook.
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