Ugly. That’s probably the most popular word used to describe the Steelers 2019 offseason.
However, if you wanted to use other words, such as tumultuous, volatile, depressing and sad, those would also be fairly apropos.
The ugliness, of course, began the very second Pittsburgh was eliminated from the playoffs on December 30, and word surfaced that Antonio Brown, the All-Pro receiver who had lifted the team on his shoulders oh so many times when things such as the playoffs were on the line, was deactivated for the regular season-finale against the Bengals, not because of an injury issue, but because of insubordination—skipping team meetings and practices in the days leading up to Week 17.