Steelers Culture Slandered As Antonio Brown Drops His Absolutely Lowest Comments To Date

The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the most storied franchises in NFL history. They are tied with the New England Patriots for the most Super Bowl wins with six. One of the pillars of that culture of excellence is loyalty. The Steelers are well known for standing by their coaches and players, evidenced by their only three head coaches in over 50 years. That's why it is always so frustrating to see that loyalty not reciprocated. 

Mike Tomlin became head coach of the team in 2007, and while very tight-lipped, we get occasional glimpses of how the team operates. The team will always be loyal and they also conduct a highly profitable business. We have seen Tomlin and the front office make difficult decisions that are in the team's best interest to continue a winning culture.   

A former player is now critiquing that culture, saying there is a far more ominous side. Antonio Brown, once a star of the Steelers offense, sat down with Jason Whitlock on his show Fearless and talked about being a member of the Black and Gold. Brown said that many misunderstand Steelers culture, which is unhealthy for players, as it pits players against each other.

"It wasn't culturified [sic] of just winning championships. I mean the standard is the standard, pitting players against each other."

Whitlock clarified Brown's meaning and asked if he was saying that Pittsburgh's tradition is to pit players against one another. Brown agreed, saying there are numerous examples, including the recent wide receiver situation.  

Whitlock said that many folks would simply call that NFL-level competition. The goal is to have the best rise to the top and to do that; you have to have those who fail. It might seem harsh, but it is the reality of professional sports.    

"Two dogs, one bone. Yes, create competition, but is it really a competition if they draft you in the third round and they draft me in the sixth round? What is the competition? They already told us what's the competition by where they drafted you, right?"

Brown said you can ask Emmanuel Sanders. Sanders was drafted in the third round in 2010, the same draft in which the Steelers got Brown in the sixth round. He said the team pitted him and Sanders against each other, not as positive competition. While Sanders was a solid receiver and played the same number of years as Brown throughout his career, he was not him. 

This is not the first time Brown has voiced displeasure about having competition in Pittsburgh. He has complained about Hines Ward and JuJu Smith-Schuster. Whitlock asked Brown about other teams and commented that Bill Belichick surely does the same thing with the Patriots.  

"Bill Belichick built up his guys. He makes sure all the guys prepare. He makes sure you know who you are facing and what your role is regarding what he's expecting out of you. It's better to promote togetherness if you want to have a winning culture."

It is hard to take Brown's comment seriously. He spent most of his career playing for Tomlin, who he says in the same interview is a "father figure," but then trashes the culture he creates. Brown only spent about three weeks of the 2019 season with the Patriots, which makes it hard to imagine he has an in-depth knowledge of Belichick's culture. Brown seems to waffle back and forth on why he left Pittsburgh as well. Sometimes, he comments like this about the culture, but also says he is a Steeler for life. 

Steelers' Antonio Brown Had Praise For His Quarterback

In that same interview, Brown also revealed his last conversation with Ben Roethlisberger, whom he claims was the last person he spoke with before he left Pittsburgh. Despite the two having rocky moments, Brown spoke highly of Roethlisberger and said they had a brotherhood. 

He recounted the many good times they spent together, including rookie cookouts at his house, basketball games, and the Pro Bowl together. Brown feels that the two share a similar trauma history, which cemented their bond.