Report: Steelers unwilling to trade Brown to AFC North rivals, Patriots

The Pittsburgh Steelers will not trade Antonio Brown to the New England Patriots or Pittsburgh's divisional rivals, a source told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

Along with the Steelers, the Cincinnati Bengals, Baltimore Ravens, and Cleveland Browns are all members of the AFC North.

Pittsburgh would reportedly prefer to ship Brown to an NFC team for competitive reasons.

General manager Kevin Colbert has already fielded calls from three teams about a possible Brown trade and is being mindful of how the receiver's landing spot could directly affect the Steelers.

"I mean, when you're trading away a player like this who could determine your own record and your own Super Bowl potential, of course you want to not trade him to teams that might be a factor," Colbert said. "But if those teams step up and say, 'Look, we'll give you the best picks or the best players,' then we have to make that judgment. OK, yeah, they're a competitor, but what they're giving us far exceeds what these other folks are willing to do.

"So, will we be selective? It depends on what the compensation is."

Brown hit the trading block after meeting with Steelers owner Art Rooney II on Tuesday when the two parties mutually agreed to part ways.

The star receiver had 104 receptions for 1,297 yards and 15 touchdowns during the 2018 season.

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