Antonio Brown Could Become Highest-Paid Receiver This Offseason
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown puts up better numbers than any wide receiver in the NFL, and his next contract should reflect that.
As the Pittsburgh Steelers get ready to take on the Kansas City Chiefs tonight at Arrowhead Stadium for their Divisional Round clash in the 2017 AFC Playoffs, the front office has to be mindful of the salary cap juggling ahead.
Keeping multiple star players under contract and navigating the cap is nothing new to general manager Kevin Colbert and the Steelers front office, but it may be especially hard to crunch the numbers this offseason. Superstar running back Le’Veon Bell is set to hit the free agent market after averaging 157 yards from scrimmage per game this past season, as the Steelers have used him as a workhorse.
Bell will command huge money from the Steelers, and the same can be said for wide receiver Antonio Brown, who came second in the league with 106 receptions and 12 receiving touchdowns.
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According to the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (piece written by Conor Orr), Brown could become the league’s highest-paid receiver by signing a new contract in the 2017 offseason.
The Steelers reconstructed Brown’s deal in the offseason, boosting his salary from $6.25 million to $10.25 million for the 2016 season. However, Rapoport called it a “Band-Aid” deal, stating that the Steelers promised that they will give Brown his true payday in 2017.
Although the Steelers have other weapons on offense, Brown is by far their best wide receiver, and he’s become even more important to this team. Beyond the fact that Brown has caught more than 100 passes in each of the past four seasons, the Steelers cannot rely on Martavis Bryant due to suspensions, and No. 3 option Markus Wheaton suffered a season-ending injury this year. Tight end Ladarius Green‘s future is cloudy due to concussions, so Brown’s status in the Steelers passing game has actually risen, even though his receptions have fallen.
Next: Is Ladarius Green's Career In Jeopardy?
Currently, Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green, who looked like the best receiver in 2016 before a season-ending injury, is the league’s highest-paid wideout at $15 million per year. Brown could potentially surpass that this offseason, but the Steelers could just increase his percentage of guaranteed money if they don’t have the cap space to give him that kind of annual salary.