Antonio Brown and Ben Roethlisberger are double-edged swords

Antonio Brown and Ben Roethlisberger reportedly got into an altercation last week and Brown proceeded to be benched by Mike Tomlin after he failed to show up to any team function after Friday, and missed his scheduled MRI. Wanna know why the team came out flat vs. the Bengals in Week 17? You certainly know now.

However, those two are more than just the center of the drama going through the Steelers right now. These two are at the center of the Steelers’ Super Bowl hopes, and are the very reason the Steelers have high championship hopes. It is not easy to always get egos settled into each other, but this situation is absolutely out of control.

Let us dive into Antonio Brown. Ever since he got paid, Brown seems to have become a monster of narcissism, but his performance sure has not taken a hit. He is a fantastic receiver and the center of Steelers’ arsenal of weapons.

However, from tantrums on the sideline to the criticism of not getting enough targets, he certainly has not been the model teammate. Brown also has gotten in trouble off the field for throwing furniture off his balcony and also being ticketed for speeding on McKnight Road.

Of course, when it comes to AB, he is an uber talented guy, and you really want to deal with the baggage he brings. Benching him certainly will send a message, and him missing meetings and such like that is extremely concerning. So, maybe you could trade him, but with how vital he is to the offense, plus the cap implications, I really am not feeling that.

Now, Ben Roethlisbeger, he is the key that keeps this whole rig spinning, but he inhibits the entire operation as well. Teammates have called him out in the past, those including Alan Faneca and Najeh Davenport. He never has been known as a model teammate, and his off the field antics early in his career were never a shining light on this organization either.

Ben is the center of drama, whether it be this situation or calling out people consistently, Ben Roethlisberger has never been a silent guy. He ran Todd Haley out of town (good thing he did), called out James Washington, and doesn’t take nearly enough responsibility for his wrongdoings. His interceptions absolutely hurt the team this year.

He is the center of drama, and part of the problem, especially with his incessant narcissism, but he is also the main reason the Steelers even have a Super Bowl window.

So, that is why this situation is so difficult. What should you do? Really, you have no choice but to ride this out. If AB is traded, I have no clue what stops Ben from calling it quits, especially when he has complained about the lack of weapons he has had in the past.

It seems these two are a package deal of hope, and tons of drama. They have to work it out, because if Brown is traded, it might just have to be time to blow it all up. Of course, there could be the scenario where Ben does not retire if AB is traded, but even with that, the cap implications are not kind.

The Steelers are stuck in the bed of despair and hope.

Now, they have to at least try and fix it.