Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin Says Antonio Brown Skipped Walk Through, Became Difficult To Communicate With
Follow KDKA-TV: Facebook | Twitter
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin said Antonio Brown did say he was dealing with a knee injury last week and that the star receiver became difficult to get into contact with over the weekend leading up to the game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Tomlin addressed the issues surrounding Brown during a press conference on Wednesday afternoon. Brown skipped walk-throughs on Saturday, then his agent called Tomlin on Sunday morning before the game to say Brown was ready to play.
Tomlin gave an official reason for Brown's absence from play Sunday.
- RELATED STORY: 'Ya'll Stay Tuned': Antonio Brown Watches Tomlin News Conference With James Harrison, Both Promise Exclusive Interview
Tomlin mentioned that Brown did not attend exit interviews and meetings at Steelers headquarters on Monday.
He said he was not aware of any conflict between Brown and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
When asked if Brown quit on his team, Tomlin answered: "You can call it what you want to call it."
Tomlin says that there have been no trade talks for Brown.
But CBS's Jason La Canfora assures that a trade request did happen.
Brown tweeted a response during the Tomlin press conference:
"My opinions may seem limited by people or circumstances. It is then that I remind myself I am in command of my attitude. I am divinely blessed with free will. I utilize that gift, choosing to take charge of my life; to express the creativity, vitality, and wholeness that truly define me."
Former Steelers linebacker James Harrison added to the drama with a message on Instagram.
"What you permit, you promote. What you allow, you encourage. What you condone, you own."
Steelers defensive end Cam Heyward put his trust in both Mike Tomlin and General Manager Kevin Colbert while revealing his feelings about Antonio Brown during an interview on WDVE Wednesday morning.
"If they sign off, I always feel good about it. This happened at the end of the year, you're not going to have a team meeting. There are some guys that need to work things out. Hopefully, they work things out and it dissipates. We all want 'A.B.' here but to be a part of this team you can't do that. You don't let your brothers down. I'm sure Kevin, Coach Tomlin will be talking to him but going forward that's unacceptable. We all gotta be there," he said.
Tomlin was also asked if the team is interested in Le'Veon Bell at all for next year.
"We are in the process of assessing what happened in 2018, and we are going to pause before we look at 2019."
