In the case of Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver and return specialist Antonio Brown, business is indeed booming, as he finally got his due.
According to ESPN insider Adam Schefter, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ electrifying wide receiver and punt returner reached an agreement on a new four-year contract extension worth $68 million making him the NFL’s highest paid WR, an average of $17.1 million over four years and $18.5 over three, per NFL.com’s Ian Rappaport.
Brown, the 195th overall pick in the sixth-round of the 2010 NFL Draft out of Central Michigan, has four straight 100-plus receptions in each of the last four seasons, which are tied with Marvin Harrison for the longest streak of 100-catch seasons in NFL history.
His 481 catches over the last four seasons—the most in a four-year span in NFL history—are 83 more receptions and 800 receiving yards than the next closest player.
His 6,315 yards receiving and 43 touchdowns rank among the top in the NFL over a four-year span. In what may be considered a “down year” by his standards, Brown caught 106 passes for 1,284 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Considered by many to be one of the top fantasy NFL players, Brown being locked up in Pittsburgh well into the 2021 season is a boon for them as well as the Steelers.
To say that Brown got his due in getting paid by the normally-conservative Pittsburgh Steelers is a statement onto itself, as he deserved it.
Many are quick to name Julio Jones, Dez Bryant, Odell Beckham Jr. and DeAndre Hopkins as among the best wideouts in the game, yet none of them are as dangerous in the open field or on returns as Brown.
Since his rookie season in 2010, Brown has a combined 2,871 return yards and five touchdowns. Once cannot help but gasp every time whenever he touches the ball on a return, long reception, or after he breaks a tackle for a long gain, as he is a threat to take it the distance.
For his career, Brown has amassed an impressive 11,248 total yards—receiving and return—and 55 total touchdowns.
There are very few NFL players who actually outplay their contract and play above their currently salary. But Brown, who made a paltry $1.275 million in 2016, clearly exceeded and outplayed his.
The 28-year-old smiling and charismatic Dancing With The Stars alum has been everywhere from making a cameo in HBO’s hit Entourage-ish comedy, Ballers to commercials for Madden ‘17 and Facebooking inside of his own locker room, but make no mistake, he is one of the NFL’s truly elite playmakers who balls out every Sunday.
Thankfully, in the case of the Black and Gold, Brown is one of theirs again well into the future.