PITTSBURGH – Antonio Brown has agreed to a contract extension that keeps him with the Pittsburgh Steelers through the 2021 season, meaning Brown has chosen the city of Pittsburgh and the largest wide receiver contract in NFL history over the opportunity to set receiving records by playing against the Steelers pass defense.
“For a lot of reasons I felt this was the best decision for me,” Brown said today. “Could I have obliterated every receiving record in history by signing with the Bengals or the Ravens or … well, not the Browns, but … if I signed with a team that gets to play against the Steelers a couple times a year? Sure. But it’s not all about records.”
Drew Rosenhaus, Brown’s agent, admitted he also talked with his client about signing with the Patriots.
“I explained to him that if some random guy who plays lacrosse can go for 180 yards and two touchdowns against the Steelers, he could put up 500 yards and seven TDs against them,” said Rosenhaus. “But for reasons unknown to me that I don’t really understand, he chose to stay in Pittsburgh. I think we can finally put to bed the idea that Antonio Brown only cares about his stats. That is clearly not the case.”
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin says he is excited to keep Brown through the player’s prime.
“I think he’s the best receiver in football and now he’s staying put,” said Tomlin. “And, obviously, not only did we not want to lose him from our offense, but the idea of him going against our defense was terrifying. No one on this team is happier right now that our defensive backs. These men have families and don’t want to be embarrassed in public even worse than the AFC title game.”
