Antonio Brown Rumors: WR 'Hasn't Closed the Door' on Steelers, Prefers New Team

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Antonio Brown may be heading toward a divorce.

That said, neither side appears to be all-in on signing the papers.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Sunday that Brown "hasn't closed the door" on playing for the Steelers in 2019 and that the team remains in control of any trade talks. Brown and his representation have not been granted permission to seek a trade partner.

Rapoport noted a trade is the "preferred outcome."

Brown, 30, has played his entire nine-year career in Pittsburgh. He's made seven Pro Bowls and been an All-Pro four times. The 2018 season marked his sixth straight with more than 100 receptions; Brown recorded 104 grabs for 1,297 yards and a career-high 15 touchdowns.

Those numbers would have been even more impressive had the Steelers not sat Brown for a Week 17 matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals. Coach Mike Tomlin benched Brown after he missed a Saturday walkthrough and had a disagreement with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in the week leading up to the game.

ESPN.com's Jeremy Fowler detailed Brown's history of issues, most notably his sometimes tense relationship with Roethlisberger and perpetual tardiness.

"This has been brewing for years," an ex-teammate told Fowler. "It's just now coming to the surface.

"And it's probably over."

Former Steelers receiver Markus Wheaton also weighed in on Brown and Roethlisberger.

"They've got a love-hate relationship—they'd love each other and hate each other at times, like all relationships," he said. "It's usually a misunderstanding—something Ben did set A.B. off or A.B. did that set Ben off. But they would get through it, and then it's hugs and touchdowns."

Steelers owner Art Rooney II has spoken publicly on multiple occasions about the tension between the organization and its star player. In early January, Rooney told Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette it was "hard to envision" Brown returning, though he has since backed off that stance.

"There are a lot of factors we have to take into account on it," Rooney said Wednesday, per Joe Rutter of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "We'd have to sit down with Antonio and understand where he is and make sure he understands where we are. There is some work to do before we figure that out."

Brown has openly teased an interview with former Steelers linebacker James Harrison, but that has not yet been made public.