Antonio Brown might have intentionally screwed up his routes when he was unhappy.
The Pittsburgh Steelers season went downhill following a Facebook Live incident after beating the Kansas City Chiefs in the divisional round. Wide receiver Antonio Brown put head coach Mike Tomlin’s postgame speech on social media and became a huge distraction before the AFC Championship Game against the New England Patriots. Because his coach said some controversial things about the New England Patriots, he took it down. However, the damage was done and according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Brown also purposely ran the incorrect routes when he was upset with how he was being used.
"Brown’s three excessive celebrations penalties early in the season were bad enough… In more than one game, when he wasn’t happy with how he was being used, he frequently ran the wrong patterns, either because of a lack of focus or — worse — intentionally. It happened a week ago in the AFC championship. That’s inexcusable."
However bad Brown’s antics are, the Steelers need to tolerate him for the time being. He’s the best receiver in the NFL and he gives them a much better chance of winning. Without Brown, the Steelers likely wouldn’t have made the postseason. He does far more good than bad when he’s on the field.
Regarding the accusations, they are quite serious. Brown is a professional, and to imply he deliberately didn’t run his routes correctly is no laughing matter. This had to come from someone within the organization.
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That said, don’t take them too seriously. The Steelers know how important Brown is to their offense. Also, they likely realize their Super Bowl window is closing, as Ben Roethlisberger isn’t getting any younger. Pittsburgh is a team that prides itself in their consistency. Brown helps them achieve it. Sure, he’s likely going to demand a lot of money for his next contract. But he has earned it.