Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Antonio Brown exulted when signing a contract to become the NFL's highest-paid receiver two years ago.
"Steelers for life," Brown tweeted at the time, along with a picture showing him beaming with his agents.
Times change.
Brown's Twitter timeline has become a vehicle for requesting a trade. Brown has used the social-media platform to cast Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger as entitled and enabled. Following a Tuesday meeting with Steelers president Art Rooney II, Brown tweeted that both parties agreed it was time for a separation.
While Brown's career in Pittsburgh could be finished, it's not clear what the future holds. Recent conversations with executives around the league set some parameters for a situation with constantly changing dynamics.
How likely is a trade? What could the Steelers get in return? Which teams would be the most logical suitors? NFL execs cover the relevant ground here.
Trade likelihood can fluctuate by the hour
Most execs thought the Steelers would trade Brown.
One was more adamant than the others that they might not, but he changed his thinking Tuesday after reports from the Brown-Rooney meeting suggested all parties agreed a separation would be best. This exec also changed what he thought the Steelers could get in return (more on that below), an indication just how fluid the situation has become.
