Steelers’ Smith-Schuster replacing Brown as Pro Bowl WR

Now the Pro Bowl knows what the Pittsburgh Steelers feel like. Wide receiver Antonio Brown, who missed Pittsburgh's regular-season finale for what was listed as a knee injury, is also out of the postseason all-star contest for apparently the same reason. The Steelers announced Monday that teammate JuJu Smith-Schuster will replace Brown on the roster for the game, set for Jan. 27 in Orlando, Fla. Smith-Schuster was voted as the Steelers' Most Valuable Player by his teammates after making 111 catches for 1,426 yards and seven touchdowns this season. He ranked fifth in the AFC and 12th in the NFL with 1,439 yards from scrimmage. Brown was out with a knee injury for the Steelers' Week 17 game against the Cincinnati Bengals, per the injury report. However, it was later revealed that Brown missed the final walkthrough and was benched by head coach Mike Tomlin for missing other meetings and practices leading up to the game. While the Steelers beat the Bengals 16-13 to finish 9-6-1, they were knocked out of playoff contention when the Baltimore Ravens held off the Cleveland Browns. Last week, NFL Network reported teammates doubted Brown's knee injury claims. Tomlin, who admitted there was no MRI or X-ray on the knee, said he had no reason to doubt the wide receiver was hurt. He followed that up with a completely different feeling, saying at an end-of-year news conference, "We're talking about our darkest hour. The guy not communicating is a very real element of discussion." Tomlin denied Brown requested a trade, as CBS Sports reported last week. "I talked to him prior to the game on Sunday," Tomlin said. "I have not talked to him since then. ... I'm not going to frame any expectation or conversation. I'm having conversations with a lot of people in terms of assessing what transpired. I will certainly talk to him." Brown led the NFL with 15 touchdown catches this season, and had 104 receptions for 1,297 yards. Other Steelers scheduled to play in the Pro Bowl are running back James Conner, defensive lineman Cameron Heyward and offensive linemen Maurkice Pouncey, David DeCastro and Alejandro Villanueva. --Field Level Media