Antonio Brown has message for Steelers following Diontae Johnson's injury
After losing Diontae Johnson to an injury, the Pittsburgh Steelers have decided to make some changes, and Antonio Brown wanted in at one point.
On Tuesday, after Johnson was ruled out for multiple weeks with a hamstring injury, the former All-Pro and Pro Bowl wide receiver went on X and made this pair of posts imploring his former team to re-sign him:
But Brown may have been too late, as the Steelers had settled on promoting practice player Jacob Copeland:
A brief overview of Antonio Brown's career with the Pittsburgh Steelers
Drafted 195th overall in 2011 out of Central Michigan, Antonio Brown spent his rookie season buried deep in the Steelers' wide receiver corps, mainly being used as a returner. But as a sophomore, he truly broke out as a receiver, hitting 1,000 receiving yards and reaching the Pro Bowl for the first time in his career.
After Hines Ward retired in 2012, Brown became a starter. He initially struggled in his new expanded role, but by 2014, he was among the best at his position, leading the league in receptions and receiving yards.
But an on-field incident in 2017 changed the nature of his tenure with the Steelers. During the Week 4 game against the Baltimore Ravens, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger failed to find him completely wide-open near midfield, instead throwing an incompletion to one side. Brown responded by throwing this fit:
From that point onward, his relationship with Roethlisberger deteriorated to the point that the Steelers had no choice but to trade him to the Oakland Raiders.
Exploring the Pittsburgh Steelers' WR situation without Diontae Johnson
Even without Antonio Brown's return, however, the Pittsburgh Steelers still have decent WR depth.
George Pickens has emerged as a superstar in the making, while the likes of Allen Robinson and Gunner Olszewski are expected to play bigger roles with Diontae Johnson out. Head coach Mike Tomlin specifically said of the former:
"He's a steady presence, man. He's a professional. He's highly competitive. I think all of those things were evident on tape, and I don't think that surprised any of us. I'm sure it's a reasonable expectation that his role might grow due to game circumstances, particularly if you're down a significant contributor like Diontae."
The Steelers will next face the Cleveland Browns on Sept. 18, with the game airing on ABC.