Teams interested in acquiring wide receiver Antonio Brown for a first-round draft pick have been informed by the Pittsburgh Steelers that a trade is likely by Friday, according to ESPN.
General manager Kevin Colbert reportedly offered a last call on Wednesday for Brown, a tactic often used in major trades in the hope of pulling in the last, best offer from any suitor.
The Oakland Raiders are thought to be the leaders to acquire Brown, in part because the team has three first-round picks and a glaring hole at wide receiver.
That was created, in part, by dumping Pro Bowler Amari Cooper for one of those first-round picks to the Dallas Cowboys in October.
Brown, 30, requested a trade at the end of the season and the Steelers recently said three teams had already been in touch to talk about a possible deal.
The seven-time Pro Bowler continued his criticism of Ben Roethlisberger on Friday on an HBO television show and the subject came up again in an interview with ESPN on Saturday when talk of retirement was also broached.
"I don't even have to play football if I don't want to," Brown said.
"I don't even need the game, you know what I'm saying? I don't need to prove anything to anyone. If they want to play, they're going to play by my rules. If not, I don't need to play.
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