“That’s my issue, you know what I’m saying? It’s all about respect. Things not getting better they’re not changing”. Antonio Brown spoke these words in a recent ESPN interview with Jeff Darlington. The interview came on the heels of a statement from Steelers GM Kevin Colbert who said that Ben Roethlisberger was the “unquestioned leader” of the Pittsburgh Steelers and that he had “52 kids under him”. Definitely not the best choice of words from Colbert, or the best time to use them.

Brown used this poorly timed statement from Colbert as another example of the disrespect he had been shown by the Pittsburgh Steelers organization. His other examples include team owners not knowing his girlfriend’s name or the names of his children, and Roethlisberger continuing to publicly criticize him. All he seemingly wanted was respect. All he seemingly wanted was to win. But what he really wanted, was a new contract and more money.

What Antonio Brown Really Wants

Antonio Brown is the best wide receiver in the NFL. He possesses elite speed and quickness and he excels at the technical side of the game. He can run any route drawn up, he high points the football regularly, he catches everything that can be caught, and he runs his routes with precision and explosion in and out of his breaks. The numbers he has put up over the past six seasons are ridiculous and are a testament to everything that he can do, and how hard he works. You don’t put up over 100 catches six years in a row by lacking talent or by slacking off. You also don’t tolerate being paid less than you think you’re worth. Like The Joker said, “if you’re good at something, never do it for free”. Antonio Brown basically took this motto and amplified it to 1,000.

Which brings us to what Antonio Brown really wants. To be the highest paid wide receiver in the NFL. It’s all completely understandable from his point of view. He has a proven track record of consistency and success, some really tremendous performances, and he’s been a very key staple on a perennial AFC favorite year after year. The only problem with it is how he’s gone about it and the guise in which he’s operated.

Hard Work Pays Off

Brown was drafted in the 6th round of the 2010 NFL Draft out of Central Michigan. He wasn’t highly touted coming out of college, wasn’t drafted early, and was clearly overlooked. Therefore he operates with a proverbial chip on his shoulder in everything he does. All he thinks about is how much he had to grind to get to where he is and what he’s had to do to be successful.

The Pittsburgh Steelers recognized his hard work and ability. Not only when they drafted him but when they gave him a new contract, twice. He showed promise his first two years in the league and in 2012 the Steelers inked him to a five-year $42.5M extension. Then in 2017 while he still had one year left on his current contract, they rewarded Brown with another five-year deal. This time it was worth nearly $73 million and made him the NFL’s highest-paid wide receiver.

I get the owners don’t know the names of your family members. I get that Big Ben should keep things in house. But how does an organization not respect you when they re-upped your contract twice? And in both scenarios, they did it before your current contract expired. And in one of those scenarios, they made you the highest paid player in the league at your position.

No Longer the Highest Paid WR

The real problem Antonio Brown has is that this past summer Odell Beckham Jr. got paid. Odell became the highest paid wide receiver in the league and that’s a no-no for Antonio Brown. Once again, it’s understandable to be upset. Brown has had better seasons than Odell and has done it consistently and over a longer period of time. It’s understandable to want to be paid more than him. But the way Antonio went about it was wrong.

He started having outbursts on the sidelines and publicly arguing with the media over his worth. Then he continued these antics throughout the season and in Week 17 was sent home mid-week and didn’t play vs the Bengals. The Steelers had to win that game to have any hope of making the playoffs. Instead of focusing on that, and leaving the drama for another time, Brown chose to put himself before the team. But winning is important to him, right?

No Longer A Man Of Steel

Once the season was done, he carried his stellar behavior into the offseason. He weaponized his social media accounts and made it clear he was now operating on his terms. But those terms still remained the same. Respect and winning. Or so he made it seem.

Winning seemingly was the reason he, for all intents and purposes, vetoed a trade to the Buffalo Bills by not committing to show up if traded there. The public and the media don’t hold the Bills in high regard, so people thought it made sense that he wouldn’t want to go there. However just a couple days later, the Steelers and Raiders worked out a deal for Brown, and Brown was fine with it. His agent Drew Rosenhaus even went so far as to say Brown and the Raiders are a “great fit”.

Which is a bit odd, considering Brown is all about respect and winning right? I mean, last year the Raiders traded their franchise guy Khalil Mack and then followed that up by trading Amari Cooper. Two moves that were not well received by Raiders players. So I don’t know how the Raiders meet Antonio Brown’s criteria of respect. At least when it comes to the players.

I also don’t know how they meet his criteria of winning, seeing as how the Raiders were 4-12 last year and looked abysmal on the field at times. Granted, they have some talent and a ton of quality draft capital, but there is definitely work to be done on that roster, to say the least. If everything works out, they can be really good in a couple of years. Maybe.

It All Comes Full Circle

So why is Brown so pleased with a move to the Raiders if his supposed two main criteria for football are in question? It might have something to do with the new contract the Raiders have agreed to give him. 

To begin with, Brown’s new contract with the Raiders gives him $30 million in fully guaranteed money over the next three years while his previous deal gave him none in that same time frame. Plus, it also gives him a new three-year deal worth up to $54.125 million. At the surface, that just looks like a lot of money. However, you also need to put this Raiders extension into the context of the previous extension the Steelers signed him to. To make a long story short, Brown will now earn $19.8 million per year in new money.

Why is that important? Well, according to Spotrac, Odell Beckham Jr. currently sits atop of the yearly earnings for a wide receiver at $18 million a year. Brown’s $19.8 million a year would surpass Odell and place Antonio back upon the throne that he so adamantly covets. What an amazing coincidence that the team that is a “great fit” for Antonio Brown is also the team willing to look past everything and offer him a boatload of more money.

Only Time Will Tell

In the end, all of the babbling and commotion about respect and winning came second to the money. Maybe that’s the respect Antonio was talking about. Maybe he meant he wants to win financially. Or maybe it’s just easier to say respect and winning instead of “I’m out here for the money”. I am by no means a Steeler fan, but you don’t get much more in the respect and winning department than you do with a storied franchise like the Steelers. We’ll see how he feels once another contract surpasses his, or when the Raiders go 5-11 this season. Only time will tell.

Main photo:
Embed from Getty Images