USA TODAY International Edition
Steelers’ Brown regrets streaming video flap
Hands at his sides, PITTSBURGH palms facing outward and feet splayed at 45 degrees, Antonio Brown pranced through the locker room as if he’d just found the end zone. Smiling and joking with Pittsburgh Steelers teammates after Wednesday’s practice, the all- pro wide receiver hardly looked like someone who’d violated his team’s inner sanctum three days earlier.
But 90 minutes later — after getting a haircut that was posted to Snapchat — contrite Brown struck a different pose in the Steelers media room while making his first public comments since live- streaming Pittsburgh’s victorious locker room ( and coach Mike Tomlin’s not- intended- for- public- consumption remarks) on Facebook Live after Sunday’s playoff win at the Kansas City Chiefs.
“I absolutely regret the Facebook Live situation,” said Brown, who also posted an apology Tuesday on Twitter. “Total distraction to the organization, total distraction to my teammates, obviously disrespect to my coach. I’ve got the utmost respect to our coach, so I totally regret that.”
Brown, who was knocked out of last season’s playoffs after suffering a concussion on an illegal hit from Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict, also offered an explanation.
“Just got carried away in the moment,” he said. “I live with that moment from last year of not being able to play in the divisional game, not being able to make the trip with the team, so I was a little bit genuinely excited in that moment.”
Brown would not reveal details of any punishment he faces.
Tomlin also declined to address the incident further Wednesday.
Brown, meanwhile, maintained the incident won’t give him any extra incentive to perform well in Sunday’s AFC Championship Game against the New England Patriots.
“I’m a professional,” said Brown, who leads all players with 232 receiving yards in the postseason. “It all starts with taking care of the business, and I’m excited to keep the business booming this weekend.” FALCONS Two years ago, Dan Quinn coached the Seattle Seahawks defense all the way through the Super Bowl, all while the Atlanta Falcons were holding their head coaching vacancy open for him.
Now Quinn can offer guidance to Kyle Shanahan, the offensive coordinator in the midst of the same process with the San Francisco 49ers as Atlanta continues its postseason run.
“I definitely have shared insight with him as he was going through the process,” Quinn said.
The 49ers appear to have zeroed in on Shanahan to be their next head coach, USA TODAY Sports’ Tom Peliserro reported Tuesday, but league rules prohibit the Niners from extending a formal offer or announcing a hiring until the new coach’s current team is out of the playoffs. Shanahan’s Falcons host the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday.
Quinn said the league rules that limit contact between a job candidate and a potential employer help the coach focus on his current job and keep it from becoming a distraction while gameplanning and running practices. PACKERS This isn’t like a pitcher in the middle of a no- hitter. Inside the Packers locker room, the Super Bowl isn’t some taboo topic.
“How do you not think about it? We’re 60 minutes away from being there again. It’s obviously on our minds,” quarterback Aaron Rodgers said Wednesday as the Packers began preparations for the NFC Championship Game.
Perhaps in late November, when Rodgers first made his prediction that the Packers would “run the table” to the NFC North title, it was uncouth to talk about making it to Super Bowl LI in Houston.
The Packers were reeling after a four- game losing streak when Rodgers made his proclamation. With each win since, he has seen the Packers gain confidence. Now, in the midst of an eight- game winning streak, they can picture themselves back in the Super Bowl.
“When you go through rough stretches and you’re not playing great, confidence can waver. When you get to this point, when you’ve reeled off a bunch in a row, the mind- set changes from we’re going to be competitive to we’re going to win. That’s very dangerous,” Rodgers said. “The expectation changed as the confidence grew.”