The Pittsburgh Steelers gave Antonio Brown a big raise on Wednesday, bumping his 2016 salary from $6 million to $10.25 million, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, in a restructure that sets up the receiver for an extension in the offseason.
Antonio Brown gets $4M bump in salary from Steelers
Brown might be the best receiver in football, and now he’s getting paid like it.
After being selected in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL Draft, Brown quickly established himself as a legitimate NFL wide receiver. He put up two very respectable seasons -- 135 combined receptions in 2011 and 2012 -- before signing a five-year, $42.5 million extension with an $8.5 million signing bonus. It seemed to be a reasonable deal at the time, but Brown quickly outgrew his contract and proved to be a bargain. He has now posted three consecutive 100-catch campaigns and led the league in receptions for two straight years.
Despite only making $1 million in base salary last season, Brown caught 136 passes for 1,834 yards and 10 touchdowns. The Steelers' offensive firepower carried them to the playoffs, but they fell to the Denver Broncos in the Divisional round.
Heading into training camp this summer, there were murmurs that Brown was unhappy with his deal. The team is already facing uncertainty with Le’Veon Bell’s four-game suspension along with Martavis Bryant’s yearlong ban, so it’s a bit risky to keep Brown’s contract situation lingering, but the team has reportedly promised the receiver that an extension will get done during the 2017 offseason.
Few players have been more dependable over the last couple of years than Brown. The traditionally smashmouth Steelers have a face-of-the-franchise type of player, and perhaps the best wide receiver in football. Now his 2016 salary reflects that.
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