The Facts: Following up on the ongoing story. ... Hall of Famer Jerry Rice said Monday during a radio interview that disgruntled Steelers receiver Brown wants to play for the San Francisco 49ers "really bad."
Diehards Line:
Brown posted on his Instagram story Sunday an image of a FaceTime conversation with Rice, who was asked by 95.7 The Game on Monday what was discussed. Asked by the station if he got the sense Brown would want to play for the 49ers, Rice answered: "Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. He wants to come here really bad. ... I don't know if it's going to happen because it's going to be up to [coach] Kyle Shanahan and also [general manager] John Lynch, but I'm all for it if they want him to come on board." Niners tight end George Kittle had tweeted at Brown after news of his Week 17 drama with the Steelers had surfaced, drawing a response from Brown. Last week, team president Art Rooney II told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that Brown would not be released but "all other options are on the table" regarding his future with the team. He also said that it would be "hard to envision" Brown as part of the team when it reports to training camp in late July. For what it's worth, Rice said he's not worried that Brown wouldn't fit in the 49ers' culture. "Not a question. No hesitation at all," he said. Rice said that if he were making the call, he'd definitely trade for Brown. "If it was left up to me, he'd be here in a heartbeat."