Antonio Brown has arguably been the best wide receiver in the NFL the past couple of seasons. He’s been a fantasy team owner’s dream, producing stats faster than they can appear in the box score.
Brown came in the NFL back in 2010, after being drafted in the sixth-round by the Steelers. After a pair of good seasons, the team extended him before the 2012 season on a six-year, $43 million contract, with an $8.5 million signing bonus. That move has certainly paid off for the Steelers.
Despite Brown outplaying his contract, the team expects him to play it out. GM Kevin Colbert told PFT Live:
“He does have two years left and we expect that to be honored without any issue,” Colbert said, after declining to address whether further adjustments will be made, citing the team’s habit of not publicly discussing player contracts. “Again, Antonio’s a unique player. We understand that and he understands our policies. I don’t ever see that changing as long as we still have the mindset that it’s been good for the organization. Again we understand that he’s a special player and we’re glad we have him for two more years anyway.”
Mike Florio noted that the Steelers typically don’t extend contracts that have more than two years remaining, but depending on Brown’s production in the 2016 season, they might have to break that rule.
He’s been an absolute machine for them, and will be even more important with Martavis Bryant missing the season. He’s led the league in receptions the past two seasons, and has seen his yards go up every season for the past three years.
So far, Brown has been fine with his contract situation, but that certainly can change with time. Right now, the Steelers will be content with getting everything they can out of him.
