Steelers' Brown apologizes for tweeting threat to reporter

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown apologized Wednesday for a threatening tweet he directed at an ESPN reporter who wrote about aspects of his life off the field.

"I made a mistake in judgment with my tweet last week, and I apologize for that," he said in a statement through the Steelers, according to Joe Starkey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "It is not OK to threaten anyone and I need to be better spiritually and professionally. Though I do not agree with the negative parts of the story about my personal life, I need to have better control over my actions to use social media as a way to engage with my fans, rather than use it improperly."

The story, published Friday by ESPN's Jesse Washington for "The Undefeated," is titled, "Antonio Brown is an Instagram All-Pro. But is that the full picture?"

In response to the article, Brown said in a since-deleted tweet: "@jessewashington wait to I see you bro we gone see what your jaw like."

Brown, a six-time Pro Bowler, racked up nine receptions for 93 yards and a touchdown for Pittsburgh in Week 1 versus the Cleveland Browns.