Doozy of a report coming out from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette moments ago. According to Gerry Dulac and Ed Bouchette, wide receiver Antonio Brown missed Sunday’s game not due to a knee injury but due to him skipping practices and meetings following a “dispute” with an unnamed teammate.
From the PPG:
“The disagreement occurred Wednesday morning during a routine walk-through practice that precedes their regular afternoon practice on the South Side. Brown became disgusted and threw a football in anger at one of his teammates, several sources said.
After that, Brown did not practice the rest of the week. According to a source, it was Brown’s decision not to practice with his teammates.”
The Post-Gazette’s report is adamant Brown’s knee injury had no bearing on him not playing in the regular season finale.
This obviously runs counter to what Mike Tomlin said all week and after Sunday’s 16-13 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. He told reporters Brown had been sent for testing on what was considered “knee soreness.” Yesterday, Tomlin again said Brown failed to play due to not being healthy enough.
“We just decided not to dress him,” he told reporters after the game. “We wanted to go with the healthiest of guys, and the guys that worked during the week. He didn’t play, Sean Davis didn’t play. James Conner was able to convince us here at the site.”
According to the PPG, Brown showed up to Heinz Field yesterday expecting to play. He was ultimately ruled inactive by the team. The offense struggled in his absence, putting up just 16 points against the league’s worst defense.
It’s more drama in the locker room this group has dealt with on and off for the better part of two years. And certainly not the first story involving the team’s star receiver. Brown centered around the “Facebook” incident in 2016, caught recording Tomlin’s post-game speech before playing the New England Patriots. He’s gotten into several heated exchanges on the sideline, was involved in a civil suit earlier this year, gotten into feuds with media and former Steelers’ employees, and caught speeding back in early November.
A frustrating note to end an equally frustrating season. Again, check out the initial report for the complete story.
