Holding Out Doesn’t Work with Steelers, Ask Hines Ward

Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown being grossly under-paid the past couple of seasons is an elephant in the room many of us have thought about, but chose to turn a blind eye to.

When Mike Wallace declined a contract extension in the summer of 2012, the team then offered the same deal to Antonio Brown; a 5 year deal worth 42.5 million.

At the time, Brown was coming off of a pro bowl season in which he gained 1000 yards receiving and 1000 yards in the return game. However, I felt he was being over-paid at the time based on just one season of breaking out.

The Steelers took a gamble on Brown, and cashed in big time. Nobody can deny that Brown has out-played the contract he signed then, becoming the best receiver in football last season. The Steelers gave Brown a deal that he out-played so he wants more, but is Cortez Allen giving any back for under-performing?

I see the chance of Brown getting a new deal this off-season as slim… and if he holds out I see the chances as being zero.

In July of 2005, Steelers all time great Hines Ward dropped a bomb that he wasn’t showing up to training camp until he got a new deal. Ward only had 1 year remaining on his contract, and said he was willing to sit out the entire year.

Hines wanted a new deal in 2004, which he alluded to when he announced his holdout, saying “Last year, you told me to wait, which is understandable; I had two years left on my deal and I went about it. I reported to everything you wanted me to do; I’ve done everything you asked me to do.”

The team held firm in that they weren’t doing anything until Hines showed up at camp. He did after a 2 week holdout, and signed a new deal, and the rest is history.

Here’s the moral of the story. The Steelers are fair when it comes to paying guys that have earned it, but they have a system in how they do things. They’re not going to change that system for any player.

Not for Hines Ward, and not for Antonio Brown.

If Antonio had 1 year left, and maybe even two years left I’d say show up to camp and tell your agent to work on the front office. But 3 years left?

It’s Cam Heyward’s turn. Then it’s Kelvin Beachum’s turn. Those guys have played well too but are being paid on rookie deal. Beachum in particular is making chump change for an NFL player.

I’m not saying Antonio Brown doesn’t deserve to make more, he does. I just don’t see where he has any leverage to demand a new contract already.

Is Antonio prepared to sit out for 3 seasons until he hits free agency, and pay all the fines the entire time? Not to mention the team could then keep him from hitting free agency with the franchise tag.

That’s all very messy and unlikely, but my point is what’s Brown going to do when the Steelers say “wait your turn” as they once did for Hines Ward?