Where there is smoke, there is typically fire. And as it stands right now, Antonio Brown and the Pittsburgh Steelers appear headed for a split. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports that Brown was just “venting in anger” and did not make “any actual request” to be traded.  On the other end of the spectrum, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports says “Antonio Brown has requested a trade. Im told it was not a demand but he has asked to be dealt.” Take it how you will, but there is no denying there is some sort of animosity between the team and Brown.
The social media world, outside of the aforementioned NFL insiders, has also added an interesting element to this fiasco. Brown himself has liked photos that have him photoshopped in a San Francisco 49er’s uniform as well as responding to a Tweet from San Francisco’s tight end George Kittle.
Another possibility is Brown landing on the other side of the Bay in Oakland, or wherever the Raiders call home next season. The Raiders not only have more cap space to work with than the 49ers but they also have more than double the amount of draft picks this year. Thus, a trade coming from Oakland would be a more realistic possibilty.
Also seen on social media was a picture shared on Instagram by Rodger Carr, Derek Carr’s father.
At a Pro Bowl practice, Carr and Brown connected on a deep ball that garnered “oohs and ahhs” from the crowd of onlookers. Despite not playing in the game at the same time, Brown didn’t let that stop him from sharing his desire to play with Carr. Here’s the video from the screenshot posted by Rodger.
Rodger wasn’t the only one hinting at a possible connection either, Derek’s older brother, Darren, is doing his part to entice Brown as well as Le’Veon Bell to join the Silver and Black.
If the asking price isn’t over the top, this could prove to be a worthwhile move for new GM Mike Mayock and head coach Jon Gruden to pull the trigger on. Raider Nation, what say you? Would you want AB in the Silver and Black, if so, what would you give up in return? Let us know in the comments and on Twitter.
