It was reported by NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport late Thursday evening that the Buffalo Bills were close to acquiring star wide receiver Antonio Brown from the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Once the shock of this report wore off, reality set in. Within minutes, Brown himself took to social media to call it “fake news.”
Meanwhile, no other outlet outside of NFL Media reported the impending trade. Now, hours after the fact, Rapoport took to the network to update his original story.
According to the longtime NFL insider, Brown would not commit to reporting to the Bills. After the organization spoke with agent Drew Rosenhaus, Buffalo pulled completely out of the Brown sweepstakes.
From @gmfb: The #Bills neared a trade last night for WR Antonio Brown, who would not commit to showing up in Buffalo. The organization did speak with agent Drew Rosenhaus. This morning, Buffalo says they are out, amid uncertainty. Steelers are square one again. pic.twitter.com/d4suLfaVWP
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 8, 2019
Just when we thought this drama couldn’t be taken to a new level, it’s now been amped up some.
Earlier in the week, Pittsburgh told teams to have their final offers on the table no later than Friday morning. Given the circumstances surrounding the Bills, it’s highly unlikely that the Steelers are holding to that deadline.
There is a sense of urgency for the Steelers here. They want to move Brown before he’s due a $2.5 million roster bonus on March 16.