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NFL Rumors: Antonio Brown's recent tweets could affect his trade market

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Antonio Brown has had an active offseason on social media.

The Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver tweeted back-and-forth with 49ers tight end George Kittle at season's end, followed the 49ers on multiple platforms and even posted a photo of himself in a 49ers jersey on Instagram.

On Saturday, Brown was very transparent in a Twitter Q&A, writing that Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had an "owner mentality" and calling out coach Mike Tomlin for sitting him in the final game of the regular season. 

As Brown finds himself in the center of trade conversations following his request to get dealt, those tweets might be scaring off potential trade suitors, according to NBC Sports' Peter King. 

"That's not just something I think. In the case of one team, it's something I know," King wrote in his Football Morning in America column.

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Brown's openness on social media has been criticized in the past. The Steelers fined him $10,000 in Jan. 2017 for streaming a Tomlin post-win speech on Facebook Live.

Given the 49ers' prominent placement in Brown's posts over the last couple of months, his tweets from the weekend shouldn't be a surprise. He hasn't exactly been subtle about his desire to leave the Steel City, and even less so about his desire to play for mentor Jerry Rice's former club.

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And although NFL teams tend to shun anything they perceive to be a distraction, Brown's other off-the-field activity should be a far bigger concern that what he posts on social media. 

King did not mention whether or not the Steelers' possible trade partners were hesitant to acquire Brown in light of the NFL's investigation into a Jan. 17 domestic incident. Wiltrice Jackson, the mother of Brown's daughter, alleged he pushed her to the ground when she asked Brown to pay for their daughter's hair appointment, according to a police report. Brown was not arrested for the incident. 

Last week, Brown was found guilty of reckless driving in a Pennsylvania court and did not attend his hearing. The 31-year-old is also being sued in Florida for throwing furniture off of a 14th-floor balcony, and nearly hitting a toddler and his grandfather. 

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