Terrell Owens and Randy Moss were enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in August. They were two of the NFL’s greatest receivers, but they’re just as well-known for being divas and locker room cancers. Owens entered the NFL with San Francisco, but he wore out his welcome there as well as in Philadelphia. He played for five NFL teams before retiring. Moss also played for five NFL teams and was accused of quitting by almost every one of them.
Sound familiar?
It’s fair to wonder if All-Pro Steelers receiver Antonio Brown is going down a similar path. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported Monday that Brown did not play in the regular-season finale against the Cincinnati Bengals because he was being disciplined for skipping practices and meetings last week after feuding with teammates.
It was the latest bit of diva drama for Brown, whose off-field issues are as well-documented as his Hall of Fame worthy statistics.
Imagine how the Brown story might have unfolded had the Steelers and Ravens lost Sunday. Brown’s tantrum would have been the direct reason the Steelers missed the playoffs. Or think about what the reaction might have been had the Steelers won and the Ravens lost. The Steelers would be preparing for a home playoff game this week with another week of drama on their hands.
Even with the way the story unfolded, the Steelers are faced with a dilemma. Throughout Brown’s tumultuous tenure with the Steelers he was always there on game days when he was healthy.
Now there is the very real question of trust going forward. If he missed what amounted to a playoff game because he was upset with his teammates, then how can the team trust him in the future?
That’s a decision only team president Art Rooney II can make, but it was the elephant in the locker room Monday afternoon on locker clean-out day. The news on Brown had yet to break when players met with reporters for the final time until the spring, but everyone knew on some level that something was amiss with the star receiver.
It was clear Brown’s absence affected the Steelers on an emotional level against the Bengals. One player was so disgusted by the situation that he said it affected his desire to compete in the game.
Team chemistry was a big topic on the final day of 2018.
“I think it’s really big,” tight end Vance McDonald said. “Human beings in general, we’re all about relationships, just interaction in general. If you don’t have connections and camaraderie and that thing you can’t measure among the team, it’s huge. It can elevate your team in such a dynamic way because you know the guy next to you means so much to you. It’s so important, absolutely important.”
Second-year cornerback Mike Hilton said better team chemistry can go a long way toward making the team better.
“You have to build chemistry with the guys you’re going to be out there with,” he said. “You want to be able to trust them and make sure they’re doing their job and they want to trust you to make sure you’re doing yours. That goes on and off the field. That chemistry can build to better victories.”
Defensive end Cameron Heyward, who served as a team captain this year, said the off-field drama did not affect the team’s performance.
“I have full confidence in everybody that goes on that field,” Heyward said. “It never takes away from their preparation. It never takes away from how they execute on the field. That’s all I can ask. Give me your best self. Sometimes that doesn’t always work out. We didn’t win enough games to go to the playoffs. As leaders we have to be accountable for that and we have to come up with proper adjustments. The ball didn’t roll our way in certain situations, but sometimes we have to go take that ball.”
"When it comes to being a good teammate, when it comes to being supportive, understanding you're trying to reach one goal, that doesn't matter to him. What matters to him is: 19 attempts - 14 catches, 185 yards, 2 TDs against the Saints. That's what's important to Antonio Brown" pic.twitter.com/T6ANwAxIE0
— #NobodyDied (@ftbeard_17) January 1, 2019
The Steelers, of course, have been dealing with distractions for the past few years, not all of them involving Brown. Heyward said it’s up to the players to perform in whatever situation arises.
“It’s execution,” Heyward said. “It’s as simple as that. There have been characters every year in the NFL. That doesn’t have anything to do with it if you can win. I know these guys are enthusiastic about the way we play. When we don’t get the job done it [stinks] for everybody.”
Now the Steelers must determine if they want to deal with Brown and any future distractions that could happen. Jason LaConfora of CBS reported Tuesday that Brown has requested a trade.
It won’t be easy for the Steelers. The way Brown’s contract is structured will make that difficult. He will count $21.1 million toward the 2019 salary cap if he is traded or released because of a previous restructure.
The other option is to keep Brown and work with him to resolve any personal issues he’s dealing with. Brown has made up with the organization and his teammates, including quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, in the past. It has happened multiple times after previous tantrums.
But this is by far the worst episode of Brown’s career. It puts his future with the franchise in jeopardy.
Brown was nowhere to be found Monday afternoon. He was a no-show for the final team meeting. But a picture by his locker remained. It’s of Brown and Roethlisberger with an autograph and a message from his quarterback. “AB, we are unstoppable.”
Like Brown’s future with the Steelers, it’s fair to wonder if that photo will be there when the players report back for spring practices.
Ray Fittipaldo: rfittipaldo@post-gazette.com and Twitter @rayfitt1.
First Published: January 1, 2019, 7:16 p.m.
