Today has been a very big day for the Pittsburgh Steelers. They franchise-tagged running back Levon Bell for one year and also signed Antonio Brown to a 4 year 67 million dollar extension. This guarantees that the Steelers big three of Brown, Bell, and Big Ben will be together for at least another year. Realistically it will be more than a year because I don’t see the Steelers letting Bell hit the open market.
This news just came out today but I already heard questions like why did Brown get paid that much? Is it worth it? Of course, it is worth it, Antonio Brown is the best receiver in the whole NFL. He is every cornerback’s worst nightmare. His routes give them headaches. I am a Steelers and I even understand this concern. Even though Brown is a fantastic talent in the NFL he kind of comes off as a diva. I love when he scores touchdowns but it gives me insane anxiety when he does he stupid celebrations that cost us 15 yards. His most notable moment was his Facebook live video after the AFC divisional game against the Chiefs that caused an uproar. Everyone knows the story and why it caused such an uproar. People might not think this but I think this caused a distraction for the Steelers and was one of the main reasons they got humiliated by the Patriots in the AFC Championship game. But I think Antonio Brown realized this and learned his lesson. I look for Brown to put up career stats next year and not be such an on the field distraction.
The next question I heard is what does this mean for Big Ben? This should be the best news for Big Ben out of all people. Rumors since the playoffs have been that Big Ben has been considering retirement. I think he was just doing this so the Steelers would be more urgent in signing Bell and Brown. Also, I think he was just very upset that they came up short once again to the Patriots. There is no doubt in my mind that he will come back better than ever and lead the Steelers to the top of the AFC.
The last question I have heard is how far can the Steelers go? I think if the Steelers stay 100 percent healthy or near they can beat anyone in the NFL. They have the best running back in the league in Levon Bell. They have the best receiver in the league in Antonio Brown. They also have a top seven quarterback in Big Ben. Their defense showed a major improvement last year and I think this year they will take the next step. People also forget that the Steelers are missing their second best receiver Martavis Bryant who was suspended all year for failing a drug test. Bryant is one of the most underrated receivers in the league and when he is on the field it makes Brown more of a threat. I think with all of these factors in play the Steelers will be able to compete for a Super Bowl title next year. But it all depends on players not getting hurt and their defense coming up big. I see big things happening for the Steelers in the next few years but they better do it quick, they aren’t getting any younger. The clock is ticking.
