The original content and analysis produced by the PFR staff during the past week:
- Antonio Brown demanded a trade from the Steelers following the end of the regular season, and while no known deep discussions have yet occurred with other clubs, it’s entirely possible that Brown won’t be on the Pittsburgh roster in 2019. Steelers ownership has, at various times, seemed to have indicated Brown’s time with the club is up while, at other times, leaving open the possibility that Brown could return next year. Pittsburgh would take on roughly $21MM in dead money if it trades Brown before June 1. With all that said, Zach Links asked PFR readers if Brown will be with the Steelers in 2019, and nearly two-thirds of respondents said “no.”
- The Patriots nearly traded Rob Gronkowski to the Lions last offseason, leading the veteran tight end to threaten retirement. Reports indicated Gronk could hang up his cleats even before that near-deal to Detroit was disclosed, and there’s no reason to think he won’t consider retirement this offseason coming off a Super Bowl victory. PFR readers are nearly split in their predictions on Gronkowski’s future, with 52% of respondents in Sam Robinson’s poll saying they think Gronk will return.
- The Alliance of American Football debuted on Saturday, and posted strong enough television ratings to top an NBA game on a rival channel. But will the league be successful in the long run, or will it suffer from football fatigue? Rory Parks posited this question to PFR readers, 76% of whom say they’ll watch the AAF going forward.