The Steelers’ locker-room video saga might finally be over, after Antonio Brown apologised for putting coach Mike Tomlin in an embarrassing position on Sunday night.
In a statement, Brown said: “I let my emotions and genuine excitement get the best of me, and I wanted to share that moment with our fans. It was wrong of me to do, against team and NFL policy, and I have apologized to Coach Tomlin and my team-mates for my actions.
“I’m sorry to them for letting it become a distraction and something that they’ve had to answer questions about while we’re preparing for a big game on Sunday.”
Brown, the team’s star receiver, caused a stir when he published a locker-room video to Facebook Live after Pittsburgh’s 18-16 win over Kansas City on Sunday. In the background, Tomlin was caught referring to the Patriots, the Steelers’ opponents in the AFC championship game, as “assholes”. His team would, he insisted, be “ready for their ass”.
Tomlin said he regretted the remarks, but also criticised Brown for livestreaming the video. “It was foolish of him to do that,” the coach said. “It was selfish of him to do that. It was inconsiderate for him to do that.”
The video, which received more than 1m views, was removed from Brown’s page on Monday morning.
Tomlin said Brown would be punished, but didn’t specify how. “There are consequences to be dealt with from his perspective, and we will punish him. We’ll do so swiftly, and we’ll do so internally.” Brown’s apology, however, should go some way to mend bridges.
The Steelers take on the Patriots on Sunday evening after the Falcons play the Packers in the NFC championship game.
