The Pittsburgh Steelers have until July to work out a long-term contract extension with Le’Veon Bell now that they have used the franchise tag on him again, and it looks like the team could get some help from one of its other star players.
On Wednesday, Antonio Brown shared a video on his Instagram story that showed him getting ready to sign an amended version of his own contract. In the clip, agent Drew Rosenhaus explains to Brown that he is restructuring his deal to help create more salary cap space for the Steelers.
#Steelers WR Antonio Brown posted on his Instagram stories that he has restructured his contract, fully guaranteeing his 2018 salary to create cap space for the team. pic.twitter.com/HfdTz0sJZB
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) March 7, 2018
Brown probably won’t be giving up any money and may actually be guaranteeing himself more in the short-term, but it’s not something he was in any way obligated to do. The hope is obviously that the restructure will help the Steelers avoid a situation where Bell holds out from training camp again and potentially leaves in free agency next offseason.
Bell has indicated in the past that he could go to some extreme measures to avoid playing under the franchise tag again. While tagged players have hardly any leverage, the Steelers would prefer if their most important offensive player is happy and under contract for more than just a season. Brown’s decision may go a long way toward helping the team accomplish that goal.
