Every rookie learns about rivalries in his own way. Some hear the stories from veterans, others feel it in the stands, and many only understand it after their first game against a hated opponent. For players new to the AFC North, the Browns and Steelers rivalry tends to make an impression right away. One Browns rookie got that lesson in his first primetime game.
KC Concepcion’s gave his honest thoughts on Steelers fans ahead of Sunday’s rematch.
‘I just learned that Steelers fans do not like Browns fans. I know that this is a rivalry that has been going on for years and years and years. I’m just trying to do anything to put the Browns up,” Concepcion said.
#Browns WR KC Concepcion on what he learned about the rivalry with the Steelers in their first game:
"I just learned that Steelers fans do not like Browns fans. I know that this is a rivalry that has been going on for years and years and years. I'm just trying to do anything to… pic.twitter.com/b9jcr8n36p
— Camryn Justice (@camijustice) October 29, 2026
Concepcion’s answer is short, but it gets at what this rivalry is about. The 2 cities are only a couple of hours apart on the turnpike, and fans on both sides have been passing the dislike down for generations. A rookie does not need long to pick up on that, especially when his first taste of the rivalry came in front of a national audience on Thursday Night Football.
He handled that night well. Concepcion led the Browns with 8 targets in the Week 4 win and caught 5 passes for 64 yards, helping Cleveland win 27-24 on Andre Szmyt’s 56-yard field goal with 10 seconds left.
This time, he gets the road version. The game is at Acrisure Stadium, where the Browns have lost 22 straight regular-season games, a streak that goes back to 2003. A win would give Cleveland its first season sweep of Pittsburgh since 1988.
Concepcion arrives playing his best football. He caught 8 passes for 129 yards against the Tennessee Titans, the first 100-yard game of his career, and moved to 3rd among rookies in receiving yards.
His last line is the part that matters most to the Browns. Concepcion is not trying to add to the trash talk that has filled the week. He simply wants to help his team win.
Browns fans proved in Nashville that they travel well, and Todd Monken credited their support with helping the team through a tough afternoon. Plenty will make the short trip to Pittsburgh, so Concepcion should have his own crowd behind him. If he plays like he did against Tennessee, those fans will have plenty to cheer about.
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