AFC North watch: Antonio Brown posts tweet saying goodbye to Steelers

It sure sounds like the Cincinnati Bengals — and perhaps the AFC North as a whole — won’t have to worry about Antonio Brown anymore.

In the latest saga of drama between the Pittsburgh Steelers and their star wideout, Brown posted a goodbye message on social media:

Thank you SteelerNation for a big 9 years…time to move on and forward……….✌🏽 #NewDemands pic.twitter.com/fbIoFNdqK4

— Antonio Brown (@AB84) February 12, 2019

It didn’t take long for reports to roll in suggesting Brown has already requested a trade:

Antonio Brown has not been traded nor has he been released. But Brown wants a trade and he officially has requested that from the Steelers, per source.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 12, 2019

The idea a trade has been on the way isn’t news, not after Steelers owner Art Rooney II basically confirmed it in an unprecedented interview.

Brown has tanked his trade value since Week 16 or so after not being available for his team’s season-ending game against the Bengals with the playoffs at stake. It was later revealed a spat with Ben Roethlisberger escalated the divide between star player and team.

Chalk it up as good news for the Bengals, as the Steelers become much easier to defend without Brown on the field.