Wide receiver Antonio Brown may have had some uncomfortable moments with the Steelers during and immediately after their postseason stay, but that didn’t stop the team from making a new deal for their top wideout a top offseason priority.
Talks got going earlier this month and it sounds like things are moving along at a good clip. Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that the two sides have made “significant progress” toward a deal that promises to be a very lucrative one for the wideout.
Rapoport adds that the goal is to have the deal wrapped up by the start of the new league year on March 9. There’s no fear of losing Brown as a free agent as he has another year left on his deal, but locking him in would allow the Steelers to take care of the rest of their business with certainty about where things stand for Brown.
That’s not the only date looming large for the Steelers right now. Wednesday’s deadline to use franchise or transition tags is also one they’re up against when it comes to their plans for running back Le’Veon Bell.