Possible trade partners for Steelers and Antonio Brown

There wouldn’t figure to be a shortage of potential suitors for a perennial All Pro, future Hall of Fame receiver who’s on a run of the five best consecutive receiving seasons in NFL history.

Of course, it’s a little more complicated than that when it comes to Antonio Brown. So, if and when the Pittsburgh Steelers decide to explore a trade of their talented but troublesome star, the list of trade partners won’t be an unlimited one. A team will need to have an ability and desire to absorb not only Brown’s salary-cap hit but his less-than-ideal locker-room presence.

Also, don’t forget that as this would be a trade (not a free-agency signing), the Steelers would need to sign off on it, too. And teams generally are averse to trades — particularly those involving impact players — to rivals, be it in the division (sorry, Ravens and Browns) or out of it (forget it, Patriots).

So here are five conceivable landing spots for Brown that the Steelers could stomach (all salary-cap information via spotrac.com):

Indianapolis Colts

Why: No team has more 2019 cap space (more than $121 million) and none have a better quarterback (Andrew Luck) for whom they would love to surround with weapons.

Why not: Indianapolis already has a star wide receiver in T.Y. Hilton — and you might have heard Brown hasn’t exactly showed he’s the type to want to share the ball.

New York Jets

Why: The Jets have the second-most cap space ($104.5 million) and have a high-pedigree rookie quarterback who could use a star receiver to flourish with. As a bonus, the Jets are considered something of the unofficial favorite to land the Steelers’ other mercurial star, Le’Veon Bell.

Why not: If the Jets target Bell, can they truly take on two massively paid superstars at the skill positions in one offseason?

Oakland Raiders

Why: The Raiders are seemingly at the top of everyone’s hypothetical list of Brown destinations because it’s a franchise that embraces big names — and, frankly, needs them after a 4-12 season and an impending move to Las Vegas in 2020.

Why not: Would Jon Gruden really trade a major asset for a top-flight receiver just months after trading away another top-flighty receiver for one? Oakland got a pick that will be in the No. 20s overall from the Cowboys for Amari Cooper in October.

Washington Redskins

Why: Another franchise that has a history of chasing big-name veteran players, Washington is in dire need of a No. 1 receiver. Tight end Jordan Reed led the team with about half the catches (54) Brown had this season, and 2018 No. 1 wide receiver Josh Doctson had just 532 yards and two touchdowns.

Why not: After Alex Smith’s gruesome broken leg, the Redskins are a mess at quarterback. And their roster has so many holes and appears so far from contention that even Daniel Snyder might think twice about mortgaging the future for Brown. They also, as currently constructed, lack the cap space.

Green Bay Packers

Why: It’s one of the few places Brown could end up in which he would be getting an upgrade at quarterback (Aaron Rodgers). And the Packers are like the Steelers in that they have an urgency to take advantage of a closing championship window brought on by a franchise quarterback in his mid-30s.

Why not: Unlike some of the other teams on this list, the Packers’ history is more Steelers-like in that they rarely chase older players or the flashiest names on the market. Plus, they already have a star receiver in Davante Adams.

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Chris Adamski is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Chris at cadamski@tribweb.com or via Twitter @C_AdamskiTrib.