Report: Antonio Brown has NFL execs shook after forcing lopsided Steelers trade
There was only one clear winner in the Antonio Brown trade saga that played out in Pittsburgh, and it was Antonio Brown. The Raiders’ new star had no leverage but somehow managed to get everything he wanted: A trade and a new contract offering new guaranteed money.
A win for Brown was also a win for all NFL stars. He laid out a blueprint for any player who wants more guaranteed money, and that blueprint has team executives shook, according to a report from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, who canvassed multiple league sources at the NFL owners meeting in Arizona…
Multiple high-ranking sources at the NFL owners meetings told ESPN that Brown forcing his way out of a contract with three years left might set a precedent that players can do what they want. One source went as far as to say that Brown essentially treating himself like a free agent, then getting a new deal with Oakland via trade, is “dangerous” for teams expecting players to honor contracts.
“It’s a problem. Other star players see this and might want to do the same,” one source said. “I know the Steelers had a difficult situation and needed to get rid of him. But they had other options.”
From the sound of it, NFL teams are upset with the Steelers for caving and giving into Brown’s demands, but it’s hard to blame Pittsburgh for trying to salvage something out of what appeared to be an irreparably damaged relationship with the player. After all, the team just watched Le’Veon Bell sit out an entire season; calling Brown’s bluff could have resulted in a similar scenario. The Steelers decided that third- and fifth-round picks were enough to justify eating $21 million in dead money and giving up a major contributor if it meant getting anything in return. Keeping Brown out of spite doesn’t benefit either side.
It’s unlikely that we’ll look back at this deal and conclude Pittsburgh got the better end of it, but the Brown ordeal was never going to end with the team getting what it wanted. The Steelers are content with the return, says GM Kevin Colbert.
“We are in much better shape draftwise than we were prior to that trade,” he said.
It remains to be seen if Brown’s gambit will lead to similar situations for other teams. My guess would be no. This was a unique scenario in which you had a transcendent player at a premium position with a deteriorating relationship with the team’s most important player … who also happened to be looking for more guaranteed money. At that point, both sides were looking to move on and the rest of the league knew it.
How often does that happen? The Giants’ trade of Odell Beckham shares some similarities, but New York was able to get two good picks out of the deal. And Beckham was not forcing the front office’s hand.
League executives are probably overreacting to the Brown situation but any threat to their power over players will understandably be considered a major concern — especially with the CBA expiring after the 2020 season. The Steelers-Brown saga will definitely be a major talking point when negotiations begin.