The Steelers and Steeler fans can give a collective sigh of relief.
The NFL’s best wide receiver will not sit out any summer activities in 2015.
The Steelers began their first series of OTA’s on Tuesday, and start wide out Antonio Brown brushed off questions about sitting out the summer in hopes of receiving a better contract than the one he currently resides under.
Fox Sports reported that Brown ‘promised’ he will be in Latrobe at the start of training camp. He wants to solely focus on football and is going to leave the contract stuff up to his agent, Drew Rosenhaus.
That’s should put everyone at ease for a change, right?
It was rumored and reported earlier this offseason that Brown would hold out participating in organized team activities (training camp included) after not attending voluntary workout sessions in April. Whether that was just a warning shot or a premonition of things to come, we’ll probably never know.
All that matters right now is that Brown is on the field catching passes from Ben Roethlisberger. That QB/WR partnership racked up some impressive and record setting stats last season. The expectation is that they exceed that in 2015. That won’t happen unless those two, along with the rest of the offense, are working together.
That’s fantastic news for anyone in Steeler Nation.
What’s not fantastic news is that the Steelers still have no one to return punts and will continue to use Brown. That fact right there is only major fuel to any kind of fire he may have of ever wanting to hold out.
That’s where the Steelers need to get their act together. Returning punts on top of being the best receiver on the team (and in the NFL) is only increasing the risk of injury.
Something Brown nor his teammates need if they want to have any chance collecting the organization’s seventh Lombardi trophy in 2015.
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