Antonio Brown trade rumors: Listing NFL teams that reportedly are not interested

Jordan Heck

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Antonio Brown trade rumors: Listing NFL teams that reportedly are not interested image

Reports suggested a trade surrounding Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown would be in place by Friday. But after a weird saga with the Bills on Thursday night, the interest in Brown appears to be dwindling.

There have been several reports in recent weeks about teams' lack of interest in Brown, essentially saying those teams will not deal with the WR. In subtracting them from the equation, we can get a better feel for where Brown might end up in 2019, so let's look at some teams that have reportedly backed out of a deal.

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Buffalo Bills

Doesn't get much more official than that. There are conflicting reports on when and why this deal fell apart, but in the end, it doesn't matter. Buffalo is moving on, and we will not see Brown making catches for the Bills.

Green Bay Packers

This is some ESPN-vs.-ESPN reporting, as Dianna Russini said the Packers were interested in Brown. But Demovsky, ESPN's Packers beat writer, seems emphatic that Green Bay won't be trading for Brown. Watching Aaron Rodgers throw to AB would have been fun, but that QB-to-WR connection will have to be saved for fantasy football rosters.

New Orleans Saints

On March 1, NFL Network's Michael Silver reported the Saints were interested in Brown. Just six days later, it was reported by Russini that the Saints were "out" of the AB sweepstakes. Maybe the Steelers' asking price was too high, so New Orleans stopped expressing interest in a deal.

MORE: Brown's trade fits suddenly low on desirable destinations

Tennessee Titans

In that same report, Russini claimed the Titans were out on AB. Brown to Tennessee might seem like an odd fit, but according to NFL reporter Paul Kuharsky, the Titans "seriously contemplated making a move." Neither report explains why the Titans dropped out, however.

Denver Broncos

Russini added the Broncos are also "out" on Brown, with CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora saying Denver was "never in it." Whatever the case, it doesn't appear John Elway will be pairing Joe Flacco with Brown.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

NBC Sports' Peter King listed the Bucs as a possibility for Brown, but that never seemed likely after Bruce Arians publicly called the receiver a "diva." This led to Brown calling Arians out on Twitter. The relationship between coach and player appears fractured already. (And, just for good measure, Russini reported the Bucs are also "out" on a trade for Brown.)

New York Jets

La Canfora's report also claimed the Jets were "never in" trade discussions for Brown. This contradicts an NFL Network report that said New York "made contact" with Pittsburgh regarding a deal. But a day later, NFL Network also said the Jets are "out" on Brown.

There's also this from SNY on why a deal wouldn't make sense for the Jets:

[Ralph] Vacchiano notes that the Jets are wary of Brown's baggage, genuinely like their receiving corps, and don't have a second-round pick to dangle via trade -- and have only six picks overall, so they know they don't have what it takes to get him. 

Arizona Cardinals

Oddly enough, the same scenario as the one with the Jets has played out with the Cardinals. La Canfora says they were never in it, and NFL Network has confirmed they are "out" of the race. In addition to NFL Network, several local reporters also have said Arizona is not a trade destination for Brown.

So much for a Kyler Murray throwing bombs to Brown in Kliff Kingsbury's offense.

Washington Redskins

Washington apparently is too busy trading for Case Keenum to bother trading for Brown.

Honorable Mentions

All of the above teams have been reported as "out." But there are some other teams that likely will not trade for Brown. NFL Network's Steve Wyche reported in late Februrary that the San Francisco 49ers "won’t be in play for Brown." But he prefaced that by saying "as of now." There's still a chance San Francisco gets in the game later, but it's worth noting that the front office doesn't appear interested.

The Kansas City Chiefs are also worth mentioning, because La Canfora said the team expressed interest in a trade, but Pittsburgh doesn't want to make one of the AFC's top teams even tougher. So while the Chiefs aren't "out," per se, it seems unlikely Brown will be traded to Kansas City.

Jordan Heck

Jordan Heck Photo

Jordan Heck is a Social Media Producer at Sporting News. Before working here, he was a Digital Content Producer at The Indianapolis Star. He graduated with a degree from Indiana University.