Steelers star receiver Antonio Brown issued an apology late Tuesday for violating the NFL’s social media policy by streaming his coach’s post-win locker room speech.
Brown posted an apology on Twitter and Facebook:
“First, I'd like to take this opportunity to say that I'm sorry for my actions and behavior after Sunday's game. I let my emotions and genuine excitement get the best of me, and I wanted to share that moment with our fans,” Brown said. “It was wrong of me to do, against team and NFL policy, and I have apologized to Coach Tomlin and my teammates for my actions.
“I'm sorry to them for letting it become a distraction and something that they've had to answer questions about while we're preparing for a big game on Sunday.”
Brown may be fined for his decision to stream the video from the Kansas City locker room after the Steelers’ win against the Chiefs, a league executive said. The policy prohibits players from posting messages on any social media platform 90 minutes before kickoff through post-game interviews.
— Antonio Brown (@AntonioBrown) January 18, 2017
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin on Tuesday called Brown “foolish,” “selfish” and “inconsiderate.”
In the video, Tomlin used profanities to refer to the New England Patriots. Tomlin said he regrets using the language and “sincerely” apologized “as a parent and member of the community” for the content of the video. He said Brown will be punished “swiftly” by the Steelers, in addition to any discipline or fine he receives from the NFL. He did not say what that punishment from the team might be.
“It was foolish of him to do that,” Tomlin said Tuesday at his weekly televised news conference. “It was selfish of him to do that. It was inconsiderate of him to do that. Not only is it a violation of our policy, it’s a violation of league policy, both of which he knows.
“So there are consequences to be dealt with from his perspective. We will punish him. We won’t punish us. We will do so swiftly, and we will do so internally.”
First Published: January 18, 2017, 1:52 p.m.