PITTSBURGH — Antonio Brown will miss his second consecutive game.
The Pittsburgh Steelers receiver — who sparked trade conversation after missing the Steelers’ season finale against the Cincinnati Bengals — will be replaced by teammate JuJu Smith-Schuster in the Pro Bowl, according to the team, which cited Brown’s injury in a release.
Brown was listed with a knee injury on the Week 17 practice report but skipped the Saturday walkthrough, so coach Mike Tomlin benched him for the game.
Tomlin said at an end-of-year news conference that Brown left the team in its “darkest hour,” as the 9-6-1 Steelers needed a win to keep slim playoff hopes alive.
Brown “went off” in a team setting during the week, according to a source, and teammates were frustrated by his subsequent absence.
Brown led the NFL with 15 touchdown receptions, and he had 104 catches for 1,297 yards.
Teammates named Smith-Schuster the team’s Most Valuable Player after he caught 111 passes for 1,426 yards and seven touchdowns.