The Pittsburgh Steelers have announced that wide receiver Antonio Brown will be unable to play in this week’s Divisional matchup against the Denver Broncos.
Steelers announce Antonio Brown will not play vs. Broncos
Brown suffered a concussion on a hit from Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict and won’t play against the Broncos.
Jeanna Kelley has been covering the Falcons for The Falcoholic since 2011 and the NFL for SB Nation since 2015.
Brown suffered a concussion after a hit from Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict with less than a minute remaining in the Steelers’ Wild Card win over Cincinnati on Saturday. The NFL has issued a three-game suspension to Burfict for repeatedly violating player safety rules.
Bengals cornerback Adam Jones said he believed Brown had given an award-worthy acting performance to draw a flag and that he believed Brown wasn't actually injured on the play. Head coach Mike Tomlin confirmed after the game, however, that Brown would enter the league's concussion protocol, and his status was uncertain to start the week.
Tomlin said early in the week that the team respects the protocol and would make the right decision regarding Brown’s status for Sunday.
“He’s going to participate fully in [the protocol], and we’ll see where it leads us,” Tomlin said. “Obviously, we’re hopeful, but we’re always hopeful. We’ll do what’s right when it’s said and done.”
Brown’s status is unfortunate news for a Steelers team that is dealing with injuries to other key players. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger suffered a sprained AC joint and torn ligaments in his right shoulder in the Steelers’ Wild Card victory over the Bengals. Running back DeAngelo Williams missed the Wild Card game in Cincinnati with a foot injury.
Martavis Bryant should get targets in Brown's absence. Bryant had 765 yards and six touchdowns on 50 receptions this season. The last time the Steelers faced the Broncos, Bryant had 10 receptions for 87 yards.
Brown has been one of the best receivers in the NFL this season, finishing the regular season tied for the most receptions in the league with 136. Brown’s 1,834 receiving yards were good for second in the league, and he also had 10 touchdowns during the 2015 season. In the win over the Bengals in the Wild Card round, Brown had seven catches for 119 yards.
In the Steelers’ come-from-behind victory against Denver in Week 15, Brown had 16 receptions for 189 yards and two touchdowns.
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