Oh, boy. According to Dulac and Bouchette he was being disciplined:
https://www.post-gazette.com/sports...ispute-steelers-news-nfl/stories/201812310108
Several sources said the Steelers’ decision to not play Brown against the Bengals had nothing to do with any type of knee injury.
After that, Brown did not practice the rest of the week. According to a source, it was Brown’s decision not to practice with his teammates.
He did not attend Saturday’s walk-through practice and skipped the Saturday night meeting at the team hotel — the latest in missed meetings by the All-Pro receiver. Brown was never on the field for the start of the game against the Bengals and left Heinz Field at halftime, according to multiple sources.
According to several sources, Brown showed up at Heinz Field expecting to play against the Bengals. That surprised several players, including one who called the situation “embarrassing” and “the worst I’ve seen.” That player said the entire situation and the way it was handled affected his desire to play in the game.
Brown did not practice all week and was listed as questionable on the injury report before the game. When he did not practice on Wednesday, the reason listed on the official report was “coaches decision.” On Thursday, the reason was listed as “coaches decision/knee.”
When offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner was asked about Brown after Thursday’s practice, his short reply was, “I’m not going to answer any questions about Antonio. Next.”
Tomlin said after Friday’s practice that Brown was having his knee tested because his All-Pro receiver “didn’t feel comfortable enough to [practice].” But several sources indicated Brown’s knee wasn’t an issue at all and was never tested.
Brown never even tried to test his knee in pregame warm-ups, despite Tomlin indicating his status for the Bengals would be a game-time decision.
At least one teammate phoned Brown in the days leading up to the game, but he did not return the call.
