Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown finished the 2015 season with 1,834 receiving yards, which was good for second in the league behind Julio Jones and the fourth-best total in the history of the NFL.
Brown put up those numbers despite playing in an offense that was missing quarterback Ben Roethlisberger for four full games and parts of others, leaving many with the opinion that he would have become the first player with 2,000 receiving yards in a season if Roethlisberger had been healthy. It’s also left some of his teammates feeling like Brown could hit that milestone this season.
Backup quarterback Bruce Gradkowski called it “realistic” and guard Roman Foster said he’s “going to bet on” Brown if the wideout makes a push for the magic number.
“I think it is possible,” wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey said, via the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “Just think: Calvin Johnson had [1,964 yards in 2012], so you know you can get close to it. Everybody knows what he is capable of. I don’t want to put that pressure on him, but it is definitely possible.”
Brown wouldn’t make any predictions, saying that it “is a lot of yards” and noting that it remains to be seen how teams will defend the Steelers with Martavis Bryant out of the picture. His chances are also going to be tied closely to Roethlisberger’s health, but Brown’s track record makes his chances as good or better than anyone’s to set a new single-season record for receiving yards.