Star receiver Antonio Brown will part company with the Pittsburgh Steelers once they can agree on a suitable trade deal with another team.
Brown will follow Le’Veon Bell out of the exit door in Pittsburgh as the Steelers have to start planning for life without the NFL’s best receiver-running back duo.
While Bell has opted not to play for the Steelers all last season as he looks for a better contract elsewhere, Brown did show up for work only to suffer a late-season breakdown in his relationship with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
Brown has been widely regarded as the best receiver in the NFL over the last few years, as he put together a record six straight 100-catch seasons and made seven Pro Bowls.
After meeting with Steelers president Art Rooney, though, Brown and the team have come to the agreement that his future lies elsewhere.
"Had a great meeting with Mr. Rooney today. We discussed a lot of things and we cleared the air on several issues,” Brown said in a post on Instagram.
"We both agreed that it is time to move on but I'll always have appreciation and gratitude towards the Rooney family and Steelers organization!"
Any team would be delighted to take on a receiver with such pedigree, but several factors, including him turning 31 this year and this off-field situation could lower the price the Steelers could get for him.
Brown is due a $2.5m roster bonus on March 17 if he remains with Pittsburgh, while his current contract is worth $38m over the next three years, although none of that is guaranteed.
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