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Steelers receiver Antonio Brown could hold out into training camp

Frank Schwab
·NFL writer

In 2012, the Pittsburgh Steelers and receiver Antonio Brown agreed to what was a mutually beneficial contract extension.

Brown got $42.5 million over five years after his second NFL season. The Steelers recognized his talent and locked him up at a reasonable price early on, and Brown got some financial stability.

The problem is that Brown has outplayed that deal and wants a new one.

Fox Sports 1's Mike Garafolo reported that Brown wasn't at the first day of voluntary Steelers workouts on Monday, and is considering skipping minicamps and maybe even training camp to get a new deal. His base salary is slated to be $6 million this season. That's not bad money, but just 11th among base salaries for receivers according to Spotrac. And Brown ranks much higher than the 11th best receiver in the NFL; he is arguably No. 1.

Brown has an amazing 239 catches, 3,197 yards and 21 touchdowns the past two years, and has amassed those numbers with remarkable week-to-week consistency. You can say he signed a contract and should live up to it, but if Brown wasn't putting up good numbers, the Steelers would have no problem cutting him and not paying him the remainder of his non-guaranteed contract. Brown has leverage and it sounds like he plans to use it.

Dallas Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant is also skipping workouts (so is cornerback Orlando Scandrick according to NFL.com), although that's not uncommon for players like Bryant who get the franchise tag. Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Justin Houston, Denver Broncos receiver Demaryius Bryant and New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul might follow that path as well. None of them have signed their franchise tender yet. So there's some offseason contract angst for some star players and their teams.

Brown will get paid, of course. The question is just how much time he might miss before it happens.

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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdowncorner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!