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LATROBE, Pa. -- Agent Drew Rosenhaus is meeting with the Pittsburgh Steelers to discuss Antonio Brown's contract, according to ESPN insider Adam Schefter. I'm told there's no update as of now, but that doesn't mean this couldn't come in hard and fast if the Steelers feel ready to rework the final three years of Brown's six-year, $43-million contract signed in 2012. Brown is due about $23 million over the next three years, which places him just outside of the top 10 receivers in annual payout, a tough sell for his production of 239 catches the past two seasons. The Steelers' way isn't to cut new deals until a player has one year left on his current one. If they didn't do it for Ben Roethlisberger, they won't do it for Brown. That's why the Steelers can get creative in finding new ways to get Brown money. Here is what I wrote in June, with help from @SalaryCap101's J.I. Halsell: From 2015-17, bump Brown from $22.96 million ($6 million, $8.25 million, $8.7 million) to $34.5 million, while adding two additional years to his deal. Create a $16 million signing bonus that’s prorated at $3.2 million until 2019. 2015: $18.8 million payout (mostly the bonus), $9.787 million cap hit (no cap difference) 2016: $5.512 million payout, $12.5 million cap hit ($462,000 cap increase) 2017: $10.187 million payout, $15.475 million cap hit ($4.677 million cap increase) 2018-19: $11.5 million each year, $14.7 million cap hit Average annual payout: $11.5 million
That's $12 million in new money, which could satisfy both parties.
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