The player with whom Brown got into a heated disagreement at Wednesday’s Steelers practice was indeed Ben Roethlisberger, Mark Kaboly of The Athletic reports (on Twitter).
Brown tossed a ball at Roethlisberger’s feet and walked out of a walkthrough, per Kaboly. This was a “fairly ugly” incident, per CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora (Twitter link), with Brown being viewed as the party in the wrong. The 30-year-old wideout went off over a specific (and, as of yet, unspecified) issue, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets, and has not been in the Steelers’ building in days. Roethlisberger and Brown argued, with Fowler noting Brown was the primary arguer.
It’s now believed he missed Sunday’s game against the Bengals because of this turmoil and not a knee injury.
While some of Brown’s teammates were surprised he showed up with the intention of playing Sunday, after missing meetings and a walkthrough Saturday, NFL.com’s Aditi Kinkhabwala reports (video link) others in the organization expected him to play Sunday. She confirms the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s report of Brown leaving Heinz Field at halftime.
This situation affected the Steelers’ effort in Week 17, per Kinkhabwala, who adds Brown did not show up for the Steelers’ exit meeting Monday. Mike Tomlin apparently did not address Brown’s issues today, per Kinkhabwala.
Why do player’s who get big contracts turn into douchebags?
In his defense, he was one before he got the contract. The Steelers are a leaderless franchise that lets players run wild.
Agree
The leading starts with the Head Coach and Tomlin is all mouth and no action. He’s obviously lost the respect of the players.
Madman the IDIOT is back
Obviously…esp since everyone blamed Brown and not Tomlin.
His behavior was typical of a #1 WR…
You’d never see the Hawks #1 WR Doug Baldwin doing anything remotely close to this. Just sayin…
Gold Star for Dougie…
Baldwin is no longer the #1 option… must have been his attitude
Haha yeah his injuries had nothing to do with his numbers. I know you’re just being funny but Doug’s attitude to playing second fiddle to the running game is exemplary and a lesson to all. A healthy Doug Baldwin is Russell’s number 1 all day. Speaking of injuries a (finally fully) healthy Lockett has come on leaps and bounds tho. Money well spent
Trade talks
Trade coming next?
Any trade would require a Khalil Mack-like return. The Steelers should set a hardline price at two first round picks, and hold onto him if nobody gives up that much. He’s worth too much to the team, and to the development of JuJu, to just give him away for any less. He’s not worth as much as Mack from a talent perspective, but the Steelers are in a much different situation than the Raiders.
Mack is a premiere player at a premium position in the prime of his career… Brown will be a 31 year old WR. They can ask for whatever they want, but they won’t get anywhere near a Mack like return.
I said he wasn’t worth as much as Mack. I know that Brown is no longer in his prime, but the Steelers are still contenders, and they’d be in Super Bowl consideration if they could stop losing to trash teams. They are one of the best teams in the league, and you don’t trade away a top 5 receiver unless you’re rebuilding, or you get an offer that blows you away. The Raiders are the first case; they were a rebuilding team who would take any value they could get for a player that they couldn’t hold onto anyways. The Steelers aren’t, and shouldn’t take an offer below two firsts
They aren’t a top team. They didn’t even make the playoffs this year. They are an aging team on the decline.
Maybe a top team on paper, if you take out the age category. They didn’t even make the playoffs this year…
Of the 6 games they lost, 5 of them were by less than a touchdown, and 4 of them were to playoff teams. And then there was the tie of the Browns. They beat or hung around with the best teams in the league (beat the Patriots, lost to the Saints because their best young player fumbled on what would have been the game winning drive, lost to the Chiefs by 5 because Roethlisberger couldn’t throw to his own team, and lost to the Chargers and Raiders because their kicker can’t function this year)
Someone has to take the drama title away from Bell. I don’t see the Steelers putting up with this, especially with JuJu stepping up.
We saw what happened when JuJu was the MAIN guy yesterday. Or maybe you thought b/c he scored on a quick pass that he dominated. He had a taste of what it’s like to be AB with the constant DoubleTeams. Steeler Be careful what they wish for
Sorry I’d take JuJu over headache AB. Trade him
You’ll end up unemployed.
Agree 100%
Remember when Jim Leyland chewed out Barry Bonds? That was great.
Trade him to the Cardinals! See how he likes being on the losing end of things all the time!
This confirms what I’ve heard for the past several yrs from local Pitts relatives about the Steelers. Too many of the stars are given a long leash by Tomlin. I always doubted this but lately I believe it. Tomlin is very loose with discipline. This was a Super Bowl contender. First the Bell incident…now this.
Worked for Bill Parcells, he’d scream like hell in the face of a rookie for a small infraction but oblivious to sideline circus acts on full display…
He was benched. Leash doesn’t get shorter than that.
What did Tomlin have to do with Bell?
ClusterF**k. This is y my Steelers fandom has been traded in… I can’t stand disfunction.
Or how to spell it.
Just in the last ten years alone, the Steelers have lost character guys like Troy, Hines, Heath, The Beard, Farrior and even the Bus and Ryan Clark, and have had cancers like Brown, Bell and others
No concept of team, and they kill the efforts of guys like Cam and DeCastro
Can’t root for this bunch
Well said!!
Of Course you Leave #7’s name out of your comment. SHOCKER
I agree. Very hard to like this team.
The main issue is Tomlin. Every aspect of this team is a reflection of Tomlin.
-Ben snoozing in the first half
-defense falling apart in the second half
-terrible late game decisions (fake punt, passing with Vick on 4th, plenty more)
-divas being allowed to act out
-horrible clock management
-no discipline , bad player development on defense (his specialty)
-and can never forget trying to trip Jacoby Jones is by far what he’ll be remembered for most
Yet he’s still 124-66. He’s just a terrible coach.
And has never had a losing season. Cowher can’t say the same.
Tsolid…all of these ‘experts’ who know what is going on in the locker room make me chuckle.
Makes me chuckle also….
A couple of these comments reveal how expertly the Steeler’s ownership has used propaganda to con their fans. The players are always at fault right? The reality is that the top players in Pittsburgh are staging a revolt against a rigid mindset that shows them little respect. Harrison then Bell and now Brown. The front office has long counted on players drinking their foul kool-aid but those days are about to end.
Respect?? Really?? Sorry but Steelers showed plenty of respect based on the $$$ they shelled out for Brown and Harrison- Plenty of dough for Bell as well….
Plenty of money for Bell? You mean that $70 mil offer that only guaranteed $20mil
It’s a business. You want to guarantee more to an aging back? They offered 14+ mil a year. You are just silly man.
I love that they drew a line with Bell…
Hate that there’s no line for Tomlin to cross. He walks on water because he got a front row seat to Cowhers dynasty. Then slowly destroyed it.
At this rate we’ll be picking in the lottery 2020.
Cowher’s 8-8 dynasty you mean? Make sure you lotion before you go lay with your Cowher blow up doll.
Cowher went 6-10 twice, too.
Cowher won in his first few years with Noll’s players. And yes, that was said back then.
Exactly Lee… Cowher Fanboys act like he won 2-3 Super Bowls or something like that. It kills me.
TJ… Who TF are you to tell someone what they think they are worth? Just b/c your talent isn’t in demand, you have to take what you’re offered. You didn’t like the fact that Bell Had the option to sit out the season and be fine with it. Typical jealous hater
There’s no need to get personal here. The Steelers offered what they thought Bell was worth. And Bell declined. You can’t put that on the Steelers though. We would have been paying him $6 million more than any other RB in the NFL, and he certainly wasn’t worth that. Jaylen Samuels and James Conner put up Bell-like numbers behind the offensive line, and cost the team $1.5 million combined. He just isn’t worth the cash. Just because someone disagrees with you doesn’t mean you have to go low
One is a cry baby and one you wouldn’t want to leave around your wife or daughter. The leader is gutless what could go wrong.