Antonio Brown attended Central Michigan University and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 6th round, with pick 195. Brown was the 22nd wide receiver taken out of the 27 that declared for the NFL Draft in that year. With only measuring at 5’10 and weighing 181 lbs, there were many teams that were sceptical of his abilities and whether he can perform on the biggest stage. The Steelers organization took the chance and drafted Brown and for the most part it turned out to become a huge success.

Throughout his nine year career in Pittsburgh he has 74 receiving touchdowns, all of which coming from Quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger. Following the conclusion of a disappointing 2018 season for the Steelers, Brown openly expressed his frustration and disagreements he has with Ben Roethlisberger and the organization. Brown tweeted this statement, “No conflict just a matter of respect! Mutual respect! He has a owner mentality like he can call out anybody including coaches. Players know but they can’t say anything about it otherwise their meal ticket is gone. It’s a dirty game within a game. #truth” (Twitter). Brown speaks out on what happens behind the scenes and explains the side of Ben that the fans don’t get to see. The organization agreed on Brown’s request of a trade which will ultimately be the end of an era in Pittsburgh. On March 8th, 2019 the Steelers were in agreements with the Buffalo Bills, who had a record of 6 and 10 in the 2018 season, to send Antonio Brown to Buffalo. A couple hours following, the trade fell through and the bills pulled their offer. A statement from Bills General Manager, Brandon Beane, “We inquired about Antonio Brown on Tuesday, and kept talks open with the Steelers. We had positive discussions but ultimately it didn’t make sense for either side. As a great player as Antonio Brown is, we have moved on and our focus is on free agency” (Twitter). The Bills did not feel comfortable in making this trade and decided to move on and shift their focuses. A day or two later, Antonio Brown was reportedly traded to the Oakland Raiders for a 2019 3rd round draft pick and a 2019 5th round draft pick. While the Raiders add a key piece to their young offense, the Steelers need to figure out how to replace Brown which will certainly be no easy job. However, the Steelers now have 10 draft picks in this years NFL draft which will give them a huge opportunity to improve.

Despite losing one of the best players in the league, the Steelers’ offense remains powerful. While the defense has been a huge point of interest for the Steelers, they are looking at drafting some wide receivers this year. Running back, James Connor, had a tremendous season last year as well as Wide Receiver, JuJu Smith-Schuster. The Steelers offense will heavily depend on these two to lead and to have another career year. Personally, as a passionate Steelers fan, it is heartbreaking knowing that Antonio Brown will never wear the black and gold once more. Furthermore, the AFC North has improved greatly this year as well. The Browns traded for star wide receiver, Odell Beckham Jr. and the Ravens acquired Safety, Earl Thomas, and running back, Mark Ingram. Many remain skeptical if he Steelers can overcome this adversity due to the loss of Brown and still stay on top of the division.