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The Pittsburgh Steelers opened up their voluntary workouts today with one of their premier playmakers noticeably absent, wide receiver Antonio Brown. It appears as though Brown is angling for a new contract despite the fact that he signed a five-year, $42.5 million extension in 2012. Under most other circumstances, I might err more on the side of the team. But in this case, Brown is exactly right and I think the Steelers need to ante up and redo his deal.
Over the past two seasons, you’d be hard pressed to name a receiver who has consistently produced at a higher level than Brown. Brown didn’t come into the league with the hype or draft standing of a Calvin Johnson or Julio Jones, but he’s been just as reliable and easily the best playmaker the Steelers have.
2013 saw Brown put up phenomenal stats with 110 catches, 1,499 yards and eight touchdowns. And right when you thought that was the peak of Brown’s capabilities, he gave you this past season’s stats: 129 catches, 1,698 yards and 13 touchdowns. Ben Roethlisberger literally peppered Brown with targets, and instead of wilting under the pressure, Brown went completely nuclear on defenses.
With base salaries of $650,000 and $730,000 and two years of cap hits south of $6 million, the Steelers got Brown’s production at a ridiculous bargain. And not only did the team get that production, they also benefited from Brown’s presence on the field and his effect on the defense.
As much as I think Martavis Bryant, Markus Wheaton and Heath Miller are good players, their jobs are made a hundred times easier because of Brown. The space they get to work with would disappear without Brown drawing the attention that he does.
For the team, they do get a bit lucky with the timing of all this. 2015 is the first season where Brown’s base salary jumps up. Brown goes from making a base salary of $730,000 last season to $6 million this season. Because the Steelers are already set in the idea of paying Brown considerably more this season, the prospect of paying him more than that shouldn’t shatter their plans. What that amount comes out to be is still the question, but going from $6 million to, say, $10 million is much more palatable than starting from $730,000. The team can work much better with the situation they’re already in.
The bottom line is the Steelers can’t afford to lose Brown. Brown has the leverage and he has no reason to give in. So instead of turning this into a long and drawn out affair, the Steelers brass would be wise to hand Brown a larger contract and have him ready for training camp. They’ve got a good thing going with their offense, and keeping it in tact is worth the price Brown wants.
Doug Green is a Featured Writer for www.RantSports.com covering the Philadelphia Eagles and the NFL. Follow him on Twitter @DGreenNFL.
