Trading Antonio Brown has to become a reality

Chemistry matters when you want to be in the Super Bowl discussion and the Steelers have none of it. Egos have brought this team down year after year and it continued in 2018.

Football is the ultimate team game. Things have finally reached the point where the Steelers brass has to look in the mirror and come to the realization that superstar talent isn’t winning out against the drama and division in the room these certain individuals are creating.

That’s where Antonio Brown comes into play.

Mike Tomlin is getting a ton of heat for not being able to control Brown, but the reality is Kevin Colbert is the one who created this monster when it comes to Brown getting away in doing what he wants and knowing there would be no repercussions.

Word on the inside is that Colbert is notorious for cuddling Brown behind the scenes, dictating the organization’s message every time Brown acts up which is about every week, team sources say, and even tried to push in letting Brown play until Mike Tomlin finally won out in sitting him down after heated conversations between Tomlin/Colbert,

Things are said to have gotten so bad that Mike Tomlin late in the season didn’t even take the energy to confront Brown in front of the team or address the team about Brown’s antics when Brown skipped meetings during the Saints week because Tomlin’s hands have been so tied from those above him when it comes to dealing with Brown.

Players are widely aware of that being the case and it’s a reason so much talk is coming that managing the egos in the room — Antonio Brown — is on the players and nobody else.

What’s Next?

— Antonio Brown quit on his teammates. He quit on the organization.

How can this team just turn a blind eye?

It’s reached the point where they just can’t but will the Steelers organization actually do something about it?

They think this group is so close to a Super Bowl when they’re not.

As difficult a trade might look on paper, there are General Manager’s chomping at the bit to potentially trade for Brown.

The $21 million dead money cap hit is obviously being looked at as a major detriment to a trade but saving $15 million in actual cash combined with a couple draft picks has it’s pros for the Steelers.

And don’t start this talk that Brown’s not replaceable.

THE STEELERS HAVE 3 PLAYOFFS WINS SINCE THE 2011 SEASON AND HAVE MISSED THE PLAYOFFS IN THREE OUT OF THE LAST SEVEN SEASONS, A PERIOD WHERE ANTONIO BROWN HAS BEEN PLAYING AT AN ALL-TIME GREAT LEVEL.

The Steelers haven’t exactly morphed into the Montana-Rice 49ers here during this great Antonio Brown era.

That is the problem with this organization during the last 5-6 year stretch. They think they’ve been much more successful than they’ve actually been.

—Sticking with the company Line?—

The message the Steelers decide to put out starting Wednesday with Mike Tomlin’s press conference will be fascinating to watch but it will likely be the same old boring company line……..

‘Antonio Brown isn’t being traded, we’ll work things out; Story has been overblown; We Want Antonio to retire a Steeler’……..

Whatever Tomlin says about Brown is going to be coming from the top.

Next week when Kevin Colbert speaks along with Art Rooney II, it will likely also be more of the same + few would be surprised if Colbert/Rooney leave the door open to tagging Le’Veon Bell again.

It figures to be like groundhog day again with the Steelers organization.

Let’s hope for some fireworks, though, because this group needs drastically changed than more of the same in 2019.

— The Fake Knee Injury —

The Steelers look really bad on the fake injury they tried to portray to the media. They even gave out bogus info to the top insiders out there like Adam Schefter who were reporting Sunday morning that Brown’s knee was feeling better and his chances of playing were improving.

What did they think, the true story wasn’t going to get out?

Here’s guessing they gambled if they got into the playoffs, Brown deciding to take a week off wouldn’t get out.

Especially with how many core players despise Brown still makes it stunning. It was eventually going to come out no matter what. To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!