The Steelers have a strict policy regarding contract extensions. For any player other than a quarterback, they don’t happen with more than a year remaining on the deal.
But there are other ways to reward key players, and as non-quarterbacks go there’s no player more important to the Steelers than receiver Antonio Brown.
A league source tells PFT that the Steelers have moved $4 million in Brown’s compensation from 2017 to 2016, pushing his compensation this year to $10.25 million. Although the restructuring robs Peter to pay Paul, Brown like will get paid like John, Paul, George, and Ringo come 2017, so it doesn’t matter whether his 2017 pay is reduced.
Specifically, Brown gets and $8.975 million signing bonus and a $1.275 million salary for 2016.
The Steelers made a similar restructuring to the deal in 2015, when Brown had three seasons left on his contract. Although many thought the Steelers wouldn’t do it again -- G.M. Kevin Colbert told PFT Live in March that the team expects the contract to be honored without any issues -- they did.
Come 2017, the question will be how much more he receives and for how many more years he commits to a franchise for which Brown, a sixth-round pick in 2010, seems destined to become one of the all-time greats.