Antonio Brown's ability to essentially force his way out of Pittsburgh caught the attention of NFL executives.
Execs are concerned about the ramifications Brown's successful power play could have on other teams, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reports, citing high-ranking sources at the NFL owners meetings.
"It's a problem. Other star players see this and might want to do the same," one source said. "I know the Steelers had a difficult situation and needed to get rid of him. But they had other options."
Brown grew unhappy with his relationships with his quarterback, coach, and members of the Steelers' front office, and demanded a trade. Pittsburgh complied and shipped the All-Pro receiver to the Oakland Raiders for a pair of mid-round draft picks.
"It was a very un-Steeler-like move," a source told Fowler.
While team executives may be concerned about copycats, player agents reason that Brown's status as one of the best - if not the best - at his position was a significant factor in his ability to get out of his contract with the Steelers for a new deal with the Raiders.
"He was crazy enough to pull this off," a veteran agent said. "Most guys aren't wired that way. The contracts and rules are in place."
