The Pittsburgh Steelers have one of the best, if not the best, wide receivers in the game in Antonio Brown. No one in the league has produced as well or as consistent as he has for the last six years. Last season, he flew under the radar a little bit because of how well JuJu Smith Schuster played.
However, he still accounted for over 100 receptions, nearly 1300 yards, and a career-best 15 touchdowns. But despite his production, it sounds like the Steelers want to get rid of him.
Antonio Brown
Okay, so some of his antics are ridiculous, childish, and quite unprofessional. But Brown is a large part of why the Steelers have been a perennial contender in recent years. Do they really want to get rid of one of the best players in the game because of some non-destructive but annoying behavior issues?
Maybe—if they do, oddsmakers have come up with odds on where he is most likely going to land.
The Odds
BETDSI recently released their latest odds on who Antonio Brown will be suiting up for in Week One next season. Among those odds are the following:
- San Francisco 49ers +200
- New York Jets +300
- Buffalo Bills +450
- Arizona Cardinals +500
- Indianapolis Colts +600
- Houston Texans +750
- Oakland Raiders +1000
- Denver Broncos +1500, Pittsburgh Steelers +1500
- Philadelphia Eagles +2000
A lot of teams can be eliminated right off the bat. The New York Giants are not going to want to pay another wide receiver so much money. Many teams, like the Chiefs, Vikings, Rams, Cowboys, etc., don’t need him. They could use him, of course, but with the talent they already have on the roster, they don’t need him.
If that is the case, they are not going to be too eager to commit $20 million a season for the next three years to him.
Where Will He End Up?
The prevailing thought is that he is going to end up in San Francisco. Ever since Jerry Rice talked to the media about Brown and how great he could be in San Francisco, the 49ers have become the favorite to land Brown.
Antonio Brown in action
“This guy, man, he’s a totally, complete team player,” Rice said during a recent radio interview. “I don’t know what happened in Pittsburgh, but I know this guy, if he comes here to San Francisco, he’s going to do everything possible to help this team win.”
Brown recently appeared to throw his support behind the idea. He posted a picture to Instagram of himself in a 49ers uniform hugging Rice with the caption, “When the goat embraces you……”
If you believe what Terrell Owens has said according to various media outlets, Brown has asked him about the Bay Area and talked about the situation in Pittsburgh with him.
But so far, all we have really heard is hearsay. Brown has given us no clear indication of what he wants, and the Steelers haven’t been crystal clear about their intentions. Not too long ago, there was talk about how they couldn’t see him coming to training camp next year. But Art Rooney’s stance has since softened making it seem like he is open to making it work.
The Prediction
He isn’t going anywhere. It sounds like Brown acted like an idiot in the final week of the season to the point where it is not hard to see why the team was thinking of trading him. But both sides have had a chance to cool off now.
For all his faults, Brown is one of the best scoring threats in the game. If the Steelers are going to make a serious run at the Super Bowl in Ben Roethlisberger’s final seasons, they need all the offensive firepower they can get.
Besides, no one is going to give them a trade package commensurate with Brown’s worth. Teams will use the behavior issues (and Pittsburgh’s desire to be done with them) to their advantage. Some will even cite his age and the likelihood of a downfall coming soon to lessen whatever offer they make.
The 49ers are a good option in theory, but there has been no indication that the 49ers are even interested in making an offer for Brown.
Bet on him staying with the Steelers, and you’ll be happy (and richer) come Week One next season.