

Mike Tomlin Antonio Brown is not in current plans but once a Steeler always a Steeler
Mike Tomlin Antonio Brown is not in current plans but once a Steeler always a Steeler
spent 2019 forcing his way off two teams and being released by a third team. So far, he's spent the first two months of 2020 as he looks to resume his NFL career. While Brown still has to overcome a legal hurdle (his civil suit accusing him of sexual misconduct and rape), the former Pittsburgh Wan'dale Robinson Jersey Steelers star continues to train in hopes of being on an NFL roster in 2020.On Monday, during an appearance on ESPN's "First Take," head coach Mike Tomlin, Brown's coach during his first nine NFL seasons, was directly asked if the Steelers would ever consider a reunion with Brown, who is No. 2 in franchise history in career receptions (837), yards (11,207) and touchdowns (74). With Brown on the roster, the Steelers qualified for the playoffs six times, won Chris Manhertz Jersey four division titles, appeared in one Super Bowl while also making two trips to the AFC Championship Game. "I'll say this: once a Steeler, always a Steeler," Tomlin said of Brown, the Steelers' sixth-round pick in the 2010 draft. "We had great succe s over the course of nine-plus years with Antonio. We're always going to be interested in his growth and development as a man and we'll be open to a sisting him in that, but we have no current busine s interest at this time."While the prospects of Brown having a second act in Pittsburgh are still slim, Tomlin refused to rule out a potential reunion. Tomlin by all accounts had a good working relationship with Brown during their time together in Pittsburgh. Tomlin and the Steelers are also in the busine s of winning, and if Brown continues to show growth both profe sionally and (most important) personally, he may very well receive a call from the Steelers somewhere down the road. Steelers fans, however, shouldn't be holding their breath with regard to Brown coming back to the Steelers. While they've done it on several occasions (examples being Chad Brown, Willie Williams, and Plaxico Burre s), the Steelers usually don't bring back players once their time in the black Kenny Golladay Jersey and gold is over. While Brownhas recently apologized for his actions, it doesn't erase the disparaging things he said about Tomlin, , and the Steelers' organization after he forced a trade from Pittsburgh to Oakland. Brown also continues to fire criticism at receiver , who has never publicly said anything disparaging about Brown.The Steelers would also have to feel that their current crop of receivers isn't getting the job done before even considering bringing Brown back into the fold. While they are in the market for a veteran receiver, the Steelers will likely look to avoid spending a significant amount of salary cap space to acquire one. Pittsburgh, according to , currently have just over $2.5 million in cap space with free agency one month away. Instead, Pittsburgh will likely look to the Tre Hawkins Iii Jersey draft -- where they've found arguably more succe s than any other NFL team at the wide receiver position -- at least certainly from a draft value standpoint.Pittsburgh's current culture is another thing Tomlin and the Steelers would consider before bringing Brown back into the fold. While his play on the field certainly contributed to the team's succe s last decade, several Steelers publicly stated how refreshing the 2019 season was to get more of the focus back on football and away from the drama-filled questions that Will Hernandez Jersey dominated the locker room near the end of Brown's time with the team. While the perceived drama wasn't always the fault of Brown, he certainly contributed to many of the distractions that undoubtedly impacted the team in a negative way. Rest a sured that, if the Steelers ever considered bringing Brown back, the team's leaders -- Roethlisberger, Cam Heyward, , etc. -- would ultimately have a say in whether or not that would actually happen.