Former Steelers WR Antonio Brown's Sideline Meltdown In 2017 Should Be A Warning For Travis Kelce Apologists

The Pittsburgh Steelers watched Super Bowl LVIII like 30 other NFL teams. It was the 13th consecutive Super Bowl that the Steelers have not played in. It is the second only to the 15-year absence from the big game from Super Bowl XV to XXIX. Chuck Noll and Bill Cowher shared the first streak, which was a big reason that Noll and Dan Rooney came to loggerheads in 1988. Cowher managed to end the streak in his fourth season as the Steelers head coach.

On Super Bowl Sunday, Travis Kelce had an outburst on the sideline that caught the attention of social media. Taylor Swift's boyfriend was spotted screaming at Andy Reid and made contact with his head coach. Sideline tirades are not unique to Kelce, and escaping the consequences is a time-honored tradition in the NFL. It was a heated moment that has gone viral. It also provoked debate about how the incident would have been perceived if it had been Antonio Brown instead of Kelce. 

Brown's bevy of issues included a 2017 incident against the Baltimore Ravens that also made a big splash nationally. Like Reid, Mike Tomlin and Art Rooney II underplayed it when it occurred. Brown was arguably the best receiver in the NFL and was at the pinnacle of his career. Brown's bad behavior had occurred mainly behind closed doors at this point, but that was all about to change. The Steelers were facing the Ravens in the fourth game of the 2017 season. The Steelers would ultimately win 26-9, but in the second quarter, Brown went absolutely berserk. 

The All-Pro felt that Ben Roethlisberger didn't throw him a ball on third down when he was open, forcing a fourth down. Brown wildly gestured as the offense walked off the field. The tantrum escalated when he got to the sideline after Brown tossed a Gatorade cooler and had a heated exchange with Todd Haley. He showed up his quarterback and his coach publicly.

Steelers Great Antonio Brown Expresses New Desire To Retire With Team

Tomlin has been consistent in incidents like this throughout his career, which has sometimes worked to his detriment. Brown's infamous Facebook Live incident before the AFC Championship game prompted Tomlin to fine him. He chose to handle the Brown incident on the field less than a year later, behind closed doors. John Harris remembered the incident in his book Tomlin: The Soul Of A Football Coach. The Steelers head coach had harsh words for Brown behind closed doors, but publicly downplayed the incident.

“I’m not going to waste a lot of time talking to Antonio about throwing a water cooler,” Tomlin said at his press conference. “AB is a competitor. We all know and understand that it aids him, it aids us, but we got to control it. He has to control it. If he does not, it can work against him, it can work against us, it doesn’t need to happen. It shouldn’t happen. Hopefully, it won’t moving forward.”

Tomlin was not the only member of the organization who took a forgiving public stance with Brown. The Steelers owner also chimed in on the incident. It could have been because he felt it was important to show uniform support for how Tomlin addressed the issue. It also could have been an agreement within the organization that publicly trashing Brown, like Roethlisberger did on his radio show, was not the best way to reach the All-Pro wide receiver they had chosen to pay a lot of money to.

"As long as they stay little annoyances, you can always live through little annoyances," Rooney said. "AB is a big contributor to our success, has been for several years now, and I think he's capable of continuing to be that kind of player. I think we are playing at a high level. You play in the AFC Championship game. You're close to the highest level."

Pittsburgh chose to try the velvet glove approach with Brown, hoping it would change his behavior. It didn't work. The Steelers didn't know it, but it was the beginning of the end for Brown and the Steelers' status as meaningful AFC contenders. Would it have made a difference if Tomlin and the Steelers had taken a hard line with Brown?   

The Kansas City Chiefs, the media, and even Reid are downplaying the incident. The talking points sound different, but if you listen closely, they are very similar. Even the staunchest Brown critic has to admit they never saw the behavior after the incident coming. The implosion of Brown's career is a modern-day Greek Tragedy. 

The Steelers' wide receiver got a pass just, like Kelce, and he lost his opportunity to catch them, despite still possessing the ability in a spectacular fall from grace. Reid has chosen to handle Kelce exactly like Tomlin handled Brown. The question is if that road leads to the same destination. 

What do you think, Steeler Nation? Do you wish the Steelers had handled Brown differently when they had the chance? Please comment below or on my Twitter/X: @thebubbasq. 

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