Ben Roethlisberger Says Steelers Are 'All About Each Other' Amid Offseason Drama
Apr 16, 2019
OAKLAND, CA - DECEMBER 09: Antonio Brown #84 and Ben Roethlisberger #7 of the Pittsburgh Steelers looks on against the Oakland Raiders during the first half of their NFL football game at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on December 9, 2018 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
The Pittsburgh Steelers' offseason program has begun, and a number of veteran players have participated despite the franchise having been subjected to neverending drama this offseason.
Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger believes that speaks volumes as to what this current squad is all about.
"I expect nothing else," Roethlisberger said, according to Steelers.com's Teresa Varley. "We want to show we are here, dedicated to this team, dedicated to having a great season. We are all about each other."
While that's a compliment to the players on the roster, some may view it as a shot at those who are no longer with the team.
Both Antonio Brown and Le'Veon Bell have moved on this offseason, with the former being traded to the Oakland Raiders and the latter signing with the New York Jets. As talented as each of the Pro Bowlers may be on the field, they also have made plenty of noise in recent years that may have caused rifts in the locker room.
Brown made headlines early last season by throwing a tantrum on the sideline during a game and later saying "trade me" in a tweet. That would set the stage for Week 17 drama followed by him forcing his way out of town, taking shots at Roethlisberger and coach Mike Tomlin in the process.
No conflict just a matter of respect! Mutual respect! He has a owner mentality like he can call out anybody including coaches. Players know but they can’t say anything about it otherwise they meal ticket gone. It’s a dirty game within a game. #truthhttps://t.co/MsSyBVd3Ny
After the coach tell the team I quit while nursing some bumps then invite me to watch the show with same guys thinking I quit i can not stand with that! I’m the bad guy doe we miss post season think about it https://t.co/imrJ8jnnBc
Brown has since engaged in a war of words with receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster on social media.
On the other hand, Bell ruffled some feathers last year as his contract standoff lasted into the regular season. While he eventually reported for Week 1 after missing the 2017 preseason, he opted not to rejoin his then-teammates prior to the season opener last year. That led to several Steelers players calling out Bell.
Bell ultimately decided to skip the entire 2018 campaign in order to protect himself for his impending free agency.
Like Brown, Bell had some things to say about his former organization on his way out. He told Sports Illustrated's Jenny Vrentas that Roethlisberger was "a factor" in his decision to sign elsewhere.
With Brown and Bell gone, there is likely a different vibe around the team, both on the field and in the locker room. Roethlisberger certainly has noticed that the team is in a good place right now.
Antonio Brown Says 'Stay Woke' to Video About JuJu Smith-Schuster Twitter Beef
Apr 12, 2019
Oakland Raiders wide receiver Antonio Brown responded "Stay woke !" to a Speak for Yourself clip of FS1 analyst Marcellus Wiley defending the wideout in his ongoing feud with ex-teammate and Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster:
The simmering feud heated up after this Brown tweet in response to a fan who tweeted the news that Smith-Schuster had been named the 2018 team MVP:
Emotion: boy fumbled the whole post season in the biggest game of year ! Everyone went blind to busy making guys famous not enough reality these days ! 🤙🏾 by the way check the list https://t.co/2SWWT8k0jx
All I ever did was show that man love and respect from the moment I got to the league. I was genuinely happy for him too when he got traded to Oakland w/ a big contract, and now he takes shots at me on social media?
Different analysts have taken sides on the debate. Wiley is clearly in the Brown camp, while Ryan Clark of ESPN has defended Smith-Schuster:
For those hoping to get their popcorn ready for a Steelers vs. Raiders showdown, they'll have to hope for a postseason game. The two teams are not scheduled against each other on the regular-season slate.
Steelers OL Ramon Foster: 'Chill' with Public Criticism Amid Antonio Brown Drama
Apr 11, 2019
PITTSBURGH, PA - OCTOBER 08: Ramon Foster #73 of the Pittsburgh Steelers in action against the Jacksonville Jaguars on October 8, 2017 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman Ramon Foster is taking a stand for his team in the midst of all the offseason drama that has taken place.
In a message posted on Twitter, Foster directed former Steelers players or affiliates to directly contact a person on the roster and that they need to "chill" rather than try to burn bridges:
PSA. Contact me or @MaurkicePouncey or anyone else that you feel comfortable with about anything else next time. I passed this through a few guys still in the locker room and they are ok with this. pic.twitter.com/4xBpm9JWZH
Brown has since been traded to the Oakland Raiders, but that hasn't stopped him from talking about his former team. The seven-time Pro Bowler called out JuJu Smith-Schuster on Twitter for fumbling Pittsburgh's season away in a Week 16 loss to the New Orleans Saints:
Emotion: boy fumbled the whole post season in the biggest game of year ! Everyone went blind to busy making guys famous not enough reality these days ! 🤙🏾 by the way check the list https://t.co/2SWWT8k0jx
Smith-Schusterrespondedto Brown's comments with a message to his former teammate.
"All I ever did was show that man love and respect from the moment I got to the league," Smith-Schuster wrote. "I was genuinely happy for him too when he got traded to Oakland w/ a big contract, and now he takes shots at me on social media? Crazy how big that ego got to be to take shots at people who show you love!"
Despite all of the apparent strife within the Steelers, they still finished last season with a 9-6-1 record and were in the playoff race until the final game. They are returning a strong roster of talent on both sides of the ball to challenge the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns atop the AFC North in 2019.
Mike Freeman's 10-Point Stance: Antonio Brown Revenge Campaign Perplexes NFL
Apr 10, 2019
In this photo from Dec. 30, 2018, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown stands on the sideline before an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin says he's disappointed in the behavior of star wide receiver Antonio Brown but added the team has not received any formal trade request from Brown's camp. (AP Photo/Don Wright)
Antonio Brown burns a few more bridges in Pittsburgh, Dwayne Haskins could be the draft's biggest steal and Sen. Cory Booker has some concerns about the sport that helped shape his life. All that and more in the latest 10-Point Stance.
1. Hard feelings
Just like you, and me and many others, there are parts of the football world looking at Antonio Brown and wondering: What the hell is he doing?
More than a few teams have been taken aback by the social media exchanges Brown has engaged in with his former Steelers teammate JuJu Smith-Schuster. And this week, Brown took the simmering beef to a new low point when he posted a Twitter direct message that an 18-year-old Smith-Schuster had sent him while looking for advice.
"This is record-level petty," an AFC South team executive said. "Has anyone told AB how awful he looks?"
Brown must know to some degree. He later deleted that post. Unfortunately, though, the damage to Brown's reputation was already done. He then attempted to blame the media Tuesday, tweeting it was us who started it all. It wasn't. It was Brown himself.
Some teams look at the pettiness and see a larger picture—that Brown's behavior with his former teammate portends a possible problem for the Raiders, who traded for Brown in the offseason and signed him to a three-year, $50.1 million deal.
Now, to be clear, I don't necessarily believe a Twitter fight is any type of future indicator. Yet there are teams that believe Brown's behavior toward Smith-Schuster demonstrates he's learned little from his dustups with teammates and coaches in Pittsburgh (especially Ben Roethlisberger) and is bringing some of that toxicity to Oakland.
They also think Raiders coach Jon Gruden is making the same mistake Steelers coach Mike Tomlin did in giving Brown so much leeway to express himself. Tomlin did the same early in Brown's career, and Brown took advantage of the coach.
(To be fair, that could be a bit too much psychoanalysis from those teams. Also, how is Gruden supposed to control what Brown tweets?)
No matter the future implications, for now, Brown's social media attacks are a pretty bad look for a guy who's already had more than his fair share of bad publicity, even if much of it was unwarranted. Smith-Schuster is seen as one of the league's good guys, and Brown attacked him for no clear reason.
It looks like everyone hasn't quite moved on just yet.
2. Brown's new town
Despite the worries of some around the league, most people I speak to in those circles believe Brown will be highly successful with the Raiders. They don't seem to be as alarmed as I am that Derek Carr will be the one throwing the football to Brown.
They think Brown is so good he can make any quarterback look special.
MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE - MARCH 24: Quarterback Johnny Manziel #2 of the Memphis Express looks on after their 31-25 overtime win against the Birmingham Iron during their Alliance of American Football game at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium on March 24, 2019 in M
Has Johnny (who now prefers John) Manziel's football adventure come to an end? He's gone from the NFL to the Spring League to the CFL to the AAF (that's a lot of acronyms) to unemployed.
Still, the sense I get from people in the NFL is that Manziel may well get another chance to play on football's main stage.
It's true that Manziel has demonstrated little reason for teams to take a chance on him, but he plays at a position of such extreme need that, if he can show even a modicum of skill, someone will have him in for a tryout or on a training camp roster. Doesn't matter who you are; if you can play, you'll get a look.
4. Another intriguing idea from the minds of…the XFL
The XFL is a year away from actually playing games, but in the time before that, it seems to be trying its best to create something interesting that football fans might appreciate. Already, a handful of football veterans have joined the league, and, according to Commissioner Oliver Luck, who spoke to Pro Football Talk, the XFL will try to update the concept of the extra point, allowing for one-, two- and three-point conversions.
It will be one point for a successful scrimmage play from the 2-yard line, two points from the 5 and three from the 10. In the XFL, the traditional extra point will be dead.
This is a good idea. The NFL has a kicking tee up its rear end and wouldn't consider something like this (at least not now), but it should. It would add another layer of excitement to the game that would likely make the NFL's already huge ratings even bigger.
5. Is Dwayne Haskins' stock tumbling?
Heading into NFL draft season, Ohio State's Dwayne Haskins had been pegged as a top-10 pick by most experts. B/R's own Matt Miller had him at sixth overall in his latest mock draft. Lately, though, it appears as though Haskins' stock is tumbling. NBC Sports' Peter King believes Haskins could be the fourth quarterback off the board later this month. If that happens, whoever picks Haskins would get one of the steals of the draft. I think he's that good, and I know I'm not alone.
There are usually any number of reasons a player of Haskins' potential starts sliding, and often they're not good ones. This looks, to me, to be one of those cases, which should make some team that didn't expect to get a starting-level QB very happy for the next decade.
6. Waiting game
I keep hearing there are teams interested in signing Colin Kaepernick, but no one has yet. The optimist in me says it will happen. The pessimist, however, believes the Dominion will attack at any moment, wonders if I'm being bamboozled and hoodwinked, or perhaps, run amok.
In all honesty, it's hard to say where this goes. I still think there are one or two brave teams like the Panthers (who signed fellow protester Eric Reid) who will take a chance on Kaepernick, but here we are, weeks after Kaepernick's collusion case has been settled, and he is still unemployed by a league in which he is well qualified to play.
7. He's worth it
The new contract defensive end Demarcus Lawrence signed with the Cowboys is massive, totaling five years and $105 million. ESPN Stats & Info notes the $65 million in guaranteed cash is the fourth-highest for a current defensive player behind Khalil Mack, Aaron Donald and Von Miller.
Lawrence's 25 sacks are the fourth-highest since 2017. That's perfect symmetry.
Eye-popping as the numbers may seem, some people in the league consider Lawrence one of the most underrated players in the entire sport on either side of the ball. The Cowboys were smart to lock him up.
8. Let it go, Robert Kraft
Someone as wealthy as Patriots owner Robert Kraft has any number of people advising him as to how to handle his two counts of solicitation following a police sting that was part of a human-trafficking probe into multiple Florida massage parlors and day spas. He might be wise to ditch the advisers and read the argument from NBC Sports' Tom E. Curran about why Kraft should just be as transparent as he can regarding a story that has become a bit of a PR disaster for him. It's worth a look.
9. Winston redemption tour begins
After a series of transgressions and allegations, Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston is trying to rebuild trust between himself and the team. Part of that effort could be seen in his decision to speak about his faith, among other things, with Jason Romano on the Sports Spectrum podcast, a conversation that was transcribed by Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times.
We'll let you decide about Winston's sincerity. He's been accused of some awful things, and not in the distant past, either. It will take a lot for Winston to rebuild his reputation, and this is a first step. But, hey, everyone has to start somewhere.
10. Sen. Cory Booker has something to say about football
Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), a 2020 US presidential hopeful, speaks during the 'We the People' gathering at the Warner Theatre on April 1, 2019, in Washington, DC. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski / AFP) (Photo credit should read BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/
Football changed presidential candidate Cory Booker's life for the better. He says it taught him how to be disciplined, how to be tough, how to be a good person. It helped him become a Rhodes Scholar, get into Stanford and become a United States senator.
To Booker, football was life, and life was football. In many ways, for him, it still is.
"So much of my life was shaped by football," he said in an interview with Bleacher Report. "It helped me learn how to endure pain and pass limitations. What happened on the field also bled into the classroom. It helped my discipline because there was nothing in academia that was tougher than the game."
Yet, as much as Booker loves football, including the NFL, he has the same concerns that many parents, kids and others do.
When asked if he would let a potential son or daughter play football, Booker said: "It would be hard to say 'no' knowing how much the sport did for me. But I would definitely worry.
"I feel like the benefits of football outweigh some of the issues. So much of my view about the world comes from that 60-70 hours a week playing the game."
Booker, once the mayor of Newark and now one of New Jersey's two senators, is one of the highest-profile politicians to delve into the safety of football and concerns about CTE, the brain disease that has been linked to repeated hits to the head.
President Barack Obama said in 2014 he would not allow his son to play professional football.
Booker is a unique voice on the subject, however, since he's one of only a handful of politicians who played the sport at a high level.
Booker went to Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan in New Jersey. He played wide receiver, tight end and defensive back. He was the team captain, wearing No. 21, and jokes that what got him into Stanford was 4.0 and 1,600—as a senior in 1986, he had 4.0 yards per carry and 1,600 total yards.
He was the Gatorade New Jersey Football Player of the Year and made the USA Today All-USA high school team as a defensive back, as SBNation.com reported. Also on that USA Today team was Emmitt Smith, now in the Hall of Fame.
Booker says he was recruited by a plethora of all-time star head coaches, including Steve Spurrier before he started at Florida and Lou Holtz at Notre Dame. He was also recruited to Michigan by former President Gerald Ford, who won two national championships as a Wolverine.
Booker picked Stanford because of the academics, and while he didn't become the star there that he was in high school, the sport continued to have a positive impact on his life.
Even when he was playing, though, his family had questions about the safety of the sport. "I'm two years behind my brother," Booker said, "and I remember the fight my parents had on whether or not to let my brother play football."
Now, Booker is the one sorting through his feelings about the sport.
"I see how college players aren't treated fairly," he said. "They generate the wealth and have a lifetime of injuries." Booker also feels the NFL needs to relax some of its stringent policies on marijuana, which mandates the league suspend players four games after a fourth positive test, 10 games after a fifth one and calls for potential banishment after another failed test.
But he isn't out to demonize the game. He sees the positives, the same positives that shaped him, and he's proud of the players who are using their power to bring attention to some of the social justice issues facing the country.
"In the end," Booker said, "the sport is about people. It has to be."
Mike Freeman covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: @mikefreemanNFL.
Considered by many to be the best safety in the upcoming NFL Draft, Mississippi State's Johnathan Abram joins The Lefkoe Show to discuss the art of trash talking, what QB he would take in the draft and why Nick Bosa is overrated.
Antonio Brown Not Giving Media 'No More Ammo' After JuJu Smith-Schuster Drama
Apr 9, 2019
Oakland Raiders wide receiver Antonio Brown smiles during the NFL football team's news conference Wednesday, March 13, 2019, in Alameda, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)
Antonio Brown is apparently now ready to focus on football.
In his latest tweet Tuesday, theOakland Raidersreceiver explained that he is done giving "ammo" to the media:
Not giving you media fakes no more ammo ........ enjoy my name AB !!! I am in Cali living ready to ball no nonsense !! You trollers troll ☠️! To good to worry #CallGod
This comes after he feuded with former Pittsburgh Steelers teammate JuJu Smith-Schuster on social media.
Brown called out the fellow receiver Sunday for a fumble during a crucial Week 16 game against the New Orleans Saints last season, and then he followed it up by sharing an old direct message from the younger player on Instagram:
Emotion: boy fumbled the whole post season in the biggest game of year ! Everyone went blind to busy making guys famous not enough reality these days ! 🤙🏾 by the way check the list https://t.co/2SWWT8k0jx
However, the four-time All-Pro now says he is "ready to ball."
While the Raiders are likely excited to have a player with his talent on the roster, Brown has already brought quite a bit of drama in his first month with the team.
Ryan Clark: Antonio Brown Is 'Not a Good Human' Amid JuJu Smith-Schuster Drama
Apr 9, 2019
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown (84) taks with wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (19) on the sideline during the second half of an NFL football game against the Carolina Panthers in Pittsburgh, Thursday, Nov. 8, 2018. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)
After Brown recently took shots at Steelers receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster on social media, Clark went on ESPN's Get Up! and said his former teammate is just "not a good human":
As Brown demanded a trade earlier this offseason, he burned just about every bridge to punch his ticket out of town. He called out quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and coach Mike Tomlin. Smith-Schuster, though, had not been a public target until this past weekend.
On Sunday, a Pittsburgh fan tweeted at Brown to make sure the seven-time Pro Bowler knew that Smith-Schuster was voted the team MVP in 2018. TheRaiders star responded by pointing out his former teammate's costlyWeek 16 fumble:
Emotion: boy fumbled the whole post season in the biggest game of year ! Everyone went blind to busy making guys famous not enough reality these days ! 🤙🏾 by the way check the list https://t.co/2SWWT8k0jx
All I ever did was show that man love and respect from the moment I got to the league. I was genuinely happy for him too when he got traded to Oakland w/ a big contract, and now he takes shots at me on social media?
In January, Clark made headlines by revealing on air that he had warned the Steelers about paying Brown—who he was teammates with for four seasons in Pittsburgh—big money:
As Brown has continued to talk, Clark has not eased up.
Antonio Brown Deletes Instagram Post of Old DM from JuJu Smith-Schuster
Apr 9, 2019
PITTSBURGH, PA - DECEMBER 16: Antonio Brown #84 of the Pittsburgh Steelers celebrates with JuJu Smith-Schuster #19 after a 17 yard touchdown reception in the first quarter during the game against the New England Patriots at Heinz Field on December 16, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
Oakland Raiders wide receiver Antonio Brown posted and deleted a screenshot of a 2015 direct-message conversation he had with former Pittsburgh Steelers teammate JuJu Smith-Schuster on Instagram.
Smith-Schuster DM'ed Brown while he was a collegiate wideout at USC and asked for tips on how to improve his game:
Antonio Brown just put up a 2015 DM from JuJu asking for advice while at USC… pic.twitter.com/fJPDs1XQtq
On Sunday, Brown and Smith-Schuster exchanged barbs on Twitter. It started when Brown criticized Smith-Schuster after a Twitter user pointed out to Brown that Smith-Schuster was named the Steelers' MVP in 2018:
Emotion: boy fumbled the whole post season in the biggest game of year ! Everyone went blind to busy making guys famous not enough reality these days ! 🤙🏾 by the way check the list https://t.co/2SWWT8k0jx
Brown and Smith-Schuster were teammates for two seasons in Pittsburgh before Brown was traded to the Raiders this offseason.
Brown specifically mentioned Smith-Schuster losing a fumble during Pittsburgh's 31-28 loss to the New Orleans Saints in Week 16 last season. The fumble sealed the defeat, and with the Baltimore Ravens winning the following week, it kept the Steelers out of the playoffs as well.
The Steelers beat the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 17 without Brown, who was inactive for the game after not practicing most of the week on the heels of a reported argument with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
In the wake of that incident, Brown requested a trade, and the Steelers granted it by dealing him to Oakland for third-round and fifth-round picks in the 2019 NFL draft.
Prior to last season, Brown had been the Steelers' unquestioned No. 1 wideout for several years. The 30-year-old veteran has registered at least 100 catches, 1,200 yards and eight touchdowns in each of the past six seasons.
He is a seven-time Pro Bowler, four-time first-team All-Pro and a potential future Hall of Famer based on his consistently elite level of production.
Even so, Brown was seemingly supplanted by Smith-Schuster as Roethlisberger's favorite target last season. During his second NFL campaign, the 2017 second-round pick led the Steelers in receptions (111) and receiving yardage (1,426), and also finished with seven receiving touchdowns.
Brown registered 104 grabs for 1,297 yards and an NFL-leading 15 receiving touchdowns.
With Brown now in Oakland, Smith-Schuster will be the undisputed No. 1 wideout in Pittsburgh in 2019. He will also be tasked with helping the Steelers bounce back from a 9-6-1 season that saw them miss the playoffs for the first time since 2013.
Le'Veon Bell Shares Image of Texts with James Conner, Says He Loves RB to Death
Apr 8, 2019
Pittsburgh Steelers running backs Le'Veon Bell (26) and James Conner run a drill during a team practice at the NFL football team's training facility in Pittsburgh, on Monday, Sept. 4, 2017. It was Bell's first workout with the team. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
The Pittsburgh Steelers might have had some tension brewing at receiver last season, but the running back room was apparently strong.
James Conner had positive words for his former teammate Le'Veon Bell in a direct message Monday, which Bell shared on Twitter:
Bell left for the New York Jets this offseason, but Conner still apparently thinks highly of the veteran.
It's not the same for Antonio Brown, who decided to trash former teammate JuJu Smith-Schuster after being traded to the Oakland Raiders.
Brown shared his harsh assessment of Smith-Schuster on Twitter Sunday and the younger player responded:
Emotion: boy fumbled the whole post season in the biggest game of year ! Everyone went blind to busy making guys famous not enough reality these days ! 🤙🏾 by the way check the list https://t.co/2SWWT8k0jx
He also shared an old direct message on Instagram Monday.
Amid the drama that continues to surround the Steelers, the positive words from Conner should at least provide some hope that not all is bad.
Look: Antonio Brown Shares Old DM from JuJu Smith-Schuster in Instagram Post
Apr 8, 2019
Before Antonio Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster were feuding on Twitter—before they were even teammates with the Pittsburgh Steelers—Smith-Schuster was just a young player looking for help.
Brown shared an old direct message from the fellow receiver on Instagram on Monday:
Antonio Brown just put up a 2015 DM from JuJu asking for advice while at USC… pic.twitter.com/fJPDs1XQtq
This comes one day after Brown called out Smith-Schuster on Twitter, blaming him for costing the Steelers a playoff berth with a fumble in Week 16 against the New Orleans Saints:
Emotion: boy fumbled the whole post season in the biggest game of year ! Everyone went blind to busy making guys famous not enough reality these days ! 🤙🏾 by the way check the list https://t.co/2SWWT8k0jx
The younger player has seemingly remained respectful throughout their relationship, but Brown is apparently no longer a fan as he begins his tenure with the Oakland Raiders following a March trade.
Texans' Justin Reid on Antonio Brown: 'I Can't Wait to Smash This Dude'
Apr 8, 2019
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - DECEMBER 15: Justin Reid #20 of the Houston Texans in action against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on December 15, 2018 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images)
Antonio Brown's ex-Pittsburgh Steelers teammates won't get a chance to play him in 2019.
It appears, however, they've found a friend in Houston Texans safety Justin Reid. The second-year defensive back responded to Brown's critical tweet of JuJu Smith-Schuster on Sunday, saying he wants to "smash" the Pro Bowl wideout:
I respect his game but I can’t wait to smash this dude 😂 No need for that https://t.co/luWgSZqCOB
Brown and Smith-Schuster got into a war of words on Twitter on Sunday after Brown blamed his former teammate for blowing the Steelers' playoff chances last season. Smith-Schuster fumbled the ball in a 31-28 loss to the New Orleans Saints on what could have been a game-winning or game-tying drive. The loss dropped the Steelers to 8-6-1 on the season and put them behind the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC North race.
All I ever did was show that man love and respect from the moment I got to the league. I was genuinely happy for him too when he got traded to Oakland w/ a big contract, and now he takes shots at me on social media?
The Steelers traded Brown to the Raiders this offseason for third- and fifth-round picks, a paltry sum that shows how much the relationship between the organization and its best player had soured. Brown took parting shots across the bow on his way out, criticizing quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, coach Mike Tomlin and management.
Brown's frustrations with Smith-Schuster appear to be mostly competitive in nature. He was visibly frustrated at times last season when balls he thought should have gone his way went to Smith-Schuster instead. His comment about the young wideout came after a fan posted about Smith-Schuster's being named the Steelers 2018 team MVP.
While Smith-Schuster himself took the blame for the Saints loss, it's clear other players felt Brown's comments were out of line. Odds are he'll be seeing more attention next season in Oakland—and not just in terms of bracket coverage.
