San Francisco Favorite to Get Pittsburgh Steelers Wide Receiver Antonio Brown.

Taking on Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown’s contract will be easy for NFL teams trying to land the talented player. Dealing with his ego and antics might be a lot harder to swallow.

It seems, however, that there are organizations willing to take a chance on the 30-year old. With the situation in the Steel City tenuous at best, general manager Kevin Colbert could be shopping him when the league’s 2019 season officially begins on March 13. The Steelers are reportedly seeking a first-round pick with any possible trade on Brown, who has three years and $39 million remaining on his contract.

Internet sportsbook BetDSI believes he’ll be in a different uniform next year. The favorite is the San Francisco 49ers. Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo will be coming back from an ACL tear he suffered in September and would love to have another target to throw to. The 49ers are at 2/1.

49ers Mum on Brown

San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan didn’t take the bait when asked about Brown last week by reporters. Since he is under contract league rules dictate that no comments can be made about him. He did say the team will, “always explore everything.”

While Shanahan can’t talk about Brown, retired Hall of Fame receiver Jerry Rice is under no such regulation, and was more than eager to share what he knows. He told a Bay Area radio station recently that there is interest.

“Yeah, he wants to come here really bad,” Rice said. “He’s talking about running the hill with me, doing all that, and just working out, just picking my brain.”

Rice added that Brown would be an immediate impact player for his former team.

“He’s got maybe five or more good years in him,” Rice said. He can take this offense to a whole different level along with Jimmy Garoppolo and (tight end) George Kittle.

Steelers Throwing Hail Mary?

Another quarterback that could use a top tier receiver is Sam Darnold and the New York Jets. They are the second choice by BetDSI at 3/1. The third team are the Buffalo Bills at 4/1.

The Steelers are noticeably absent from the top five, but they may be working on saving the relationship with Brown. Steelers owner Art Rooney II had said last month that it was “hard to envision” Brown coming back. On Tuesday, however, he seemed to soft peddle his opinion, telling the Pittsburgh Tribune Review that he could stay with the team.

“There are a lot of factors we have to take into account on it,” Rooney said. We’d have to sit down with Antonio and understand where he is and make sure he understands where we are. There is some work to do before we figure that out.”

Brown teammate, center Maurkice Pouncey, said the strained relationship with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger which led to Brown’s benching in Week 17, is repairable, according to an interview he gave ESPN.com.

“The simple fact it’s two Hall of Fame players, there’s a reason it’s being brought up so much,” Pouncey said. “Rightfully so. I agree everyone has opinions and everybody can talk about things. But I honestly think, and I’ve been playing football a long time, things will get worked out. They are the best duo in Steeler history. If you don’t want to talk to two Hall of Famers who have played with each other and did so much together, I just don’t understand what team is anymore.”