Antonio Brown to return in 2019.Not that it matters to Brown. He?s already made up his mind.A person with knowledge of the situation tells The Associated Press the perennial Pro Bowler has formally asked the Steelers for a trade Joe Gilliam Jersey , the latest move in a game of brinksmanship by the 30-year-old designed to force Pittsburgh to move him by the start of training camp this summer.The person spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not permitted to publicly discuss personnel matters.Brown appeared to make his decision official in a social media post released on Instagram on Tuesday. The video includes highlights from Brown?s career with the Steelers while lyrics from ?Do What I Want? by rapper Lil Uzi Vert plays in the background.?SteelerNation thank you for nine big years!!!? Brown wrote. ?Time to move on and move forward.?The post came shortly after Brown was found guilty in absence on a charge of reckless driving in a suburban Pittsburgh court on Tuesday morning. Brown was charged in November for driving his black sports car over 100 mph in a 45 mph zone. He paid a $426.77 fine. Brown did not attend Tuesday?s hearing.Brown still has three years remaining on the $72 million contract he signed in the spring of 2017, and remains one of the most dynamic performers in the league. He is the only player in NFL history with six consecutive 100-catch seasons and he hauled in 104 receptions for 1,297 yards and a franchise-record 15 touchdowns in 2018.Still, Brown?s behavior became increasingly erratic last fall. The nadir came before Pittsburgh?s game against Cincinnati in Week 17. The team sent him home with an apparent leg injury on the Friday before the game and he failed to providecoach Mike Tomlin with an update until Sunday morning, when his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, let Tomlin know that Brown was available to play.Tomlin opted to make Brown inactive and Brown did not show up to clean out his locker or conduct an exit interview with the coaching staff. He pulled out of the Pro Bowl with an injury and team president Art Rooney II indicated the team had been unable to make contact with Brown in the weeks after Pittsburgh finished 9-6-1 and failed to reach the playoffs.Rooney, however, stressed last month he did not plan to ?disparage? Brown and did not close the door on Brown?s possible return. That still might be the case, whether Brown wants to come back or not.There is no major rush with another month before the new league year begins, though Pittsburgh could work out the parameters of a deal by March 13. Brown?s contract counts $21.12 million in 2019, a number that inches north to $23.62 if Brown receives a $2.5 million roster bonus he?s scheduled to receive on March 17.The number seems daunting, but for once the Steelers are not right up against the salary cap thanks in large part to running back Le?Veon Bell?s decision to sit out 2018 rather than sign his one-year franchise tender. The $14.4 million Bell forfeited will roll over into 2019 Terry Bradshaw Jersey , giving Pittsburgh some flexibility to absorb a loss if Brown plays elsewhere.Cutting Brown is almost certainly off the table, but what Brown could command on the trade market is uncertain. Pittsburgh received a third-round pick from Oakland last season for Martavis Bryant, who carried the weight of unmet expectations and a record that included multiple violations of the NFL?s substance abuse policy.Brown doesn?t have that kind of baggage, though his behavior in recent months could give potential suitors pause. The list of his transgressions in recent months includes a pending civil lawsuit in Florida claiming he hurled objects from the 14th floor of an apartment building that landed near a toddler; threatening an ESPN reporter through social media ; and his 100 mph sprint through the northern Pittsburgh suburbs on Nov. 8.Several of Brown?s teammates, including second-year wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, talked openly at the Pro Bowl about Brown remaining with the team that took a flyer on him in the sixth-round of the 2010 draft and helped him evolve into one of the best receivers of his generation. Brown apparently wants no part of a reconciliation. Regardless of the grudge you may still hold against Xaxier Grimble for his fumble vs. the Broncos last year, the Steelers need him to step up and be an effective number two tight end in 2019." Latest NewsCommentaryIt?s time for Steelers fans to forgive Xavier Grimble for his fumble against the BroncosNew,46commentsRegardless of the grudge you may still hold against Xaxier Grimble for his fumble vs. the Broncos last year, the Steelers need him to step up and be an effective number two tight end in 2019. EDTShare this storyShare this on FacebookShare this on TwitterShareAll sharing optionsShareAll sharing options for:It?s time for Steelers fans to forgive Xavier Grimble for his fumble against the BroncosTwitterFacebookRedditPocketFlipboardEmailPhoto by Matthew Stockman/Getty ImagesThe day was November 25, 2018. I remember it well. I was at a Friendsgiving get-together full of people who didn?t care much for fancy football watchin?. Instead of gathering around the television set after dinner to watch the Steelers/Broncos clash at Mile High, the group engaged in some sort of high brow board game that I only pretended to understand. But I was having a good time and enjoying the company of some cool folks. I was having such a good time that, believe it or not, I almost forgot about my favorite football team that was in the early stages of a semi-important 4 p.m. match-up against an inferior Broncos squad.Yes Louis Lipps Jersey , I thought this game was only semi-important because Pittsburgh entered the day with a 2.5 game lead over the Ravens in the AFC North with just six weeks to play. The Steelers had a 7-2-1 record and were on a six-game roll after starting the season 1-2-1. What better time to disengage from the tense emotions that the game of football often generates in the truly die-hard fans?And then I received this text from a relative: ?What a shame. It was such a great call, too.? That relative was referring to the great first quarter call that led to Steelers third-string tight end Xavier Grimble being left all alone in the middle of the field. Grimble gathered in a pass from quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and had a mostly clear path to the end zone. The only thing that stood in Grimble?s way was a Broncos defensive back that the undrafted free agent out of USC could simply avoid with a little cutback to the inside. Instead of that, Grimble tried to knock the defensive back into the following week. I don?t know how successful Grimble was in that regard, but the football he was carrying?in his inside arm, which is always a no-no?was knocked out of the end zone before it crossed the plane of the goal line. Touchback, Denver, and the rest, as they say, is history. The Steelers lost the game, 24-17, and a few more down the stretch and finished with a 9-6-1 record and out of the postseason for the first time since 2013. There were many mistakes that you can point to for the Steelers failure of a 2018 season, but Grimble?s is often cited more than most. I know I spent the rest of last season and most of this offseason holding a Steve Bartman-level grudge against Grimble for his silly, silly gaffe (although Alejandro Villanueva Jersey , I would never throw a cup of beer on him, since he?s much bigger than me, and stadium beer is expensive). Just two weeks ago, on The Steelers Hangover, I was asked if Grimble would catch as many passes this year as Jesse James did a season ago (30), and I said, ?NO!? But almost immediately after giving that rather rude and crude answer, I felt bad. I mean, it wasn?t as if Grimble WANTED to fumble the ball on that play. He was just trying to do something positive. He may have gone about it the wrong way, but I?m guessing his heart was in the right place.I?m also guessing Grimble immediately regretted his choice to send a physical message to that Denver defensive back. And if he didn?t have immediate regrets, I?m assuming they began to creep in the second Pittsburgh was officially eliminated from the playoffs some five weeks later. But whatever regret Grimble may still have for being a doofus that day in Denver, he needs to forget about it and move forward. Same for die-hard Steelers fans such as yours truly.Why? Because the Steelers need Grimble, who is entering his fourth year with the team John Stallworth Jersey , to step up and be the number two tight end in 2019. In case you haven?t noticed, the Steelers depth chart behind Vance McDonaldat tight end is pretty sparse in terms of proven talent. Someone needs to rise to the occasion and do so in a hurry. Grimble, with 22 career receptions for 236 yards and three touchdowns, is the only tight end on the roster besides McDonald that has a stat-line. The Steelers have always had a fondness for the two tight end set, which means they?ll want to keep using it in 2019. Is Grimble up for the task, especially since it also requires the ability to block well in the running game? That remains to be seen, of course, but the Steelers will certainly give him a chance to win the job this preseason.It?s not an impossible road back, from bonehead play to redemption?Barry Foster once treated a kickoff like a punt?and if Xavier Grimble can be an effective number two tight end in 2019, the memory of his gaffe in Denver will vanish faster than the stuffing at my next Friendsgiving feast.