Business is moving. Antonio Brown will get his wish to leave the Pittsburgh Steelers, who have agreed to trade their disgruntled perennial all-pro to the…
Business is moving.
Antonio Brown will get his wish to leave the Pittsburgh Steelers, who have agreed to trade their disgruntled perennial all-pro to the Oakland Raiders for a third- and fifth-round draft pick.
A person with direct knowledge of the situation confirmed the move to USA TODAY Sports’ A. J. Perez but requested anonymity because the transaction cannot become official until later this week.
Brown tweeted a picture of himself wearing Oakland’s iconic Silver & Black late Saturday night and issued a second post of himself and Raiders quarterback Derek Carr when they were teammates on the AFC Pro Bowl squad.
Per NFL Network, Brown will receive a reworked contract that covers three years and pays $50.1 million (with a maximum value of $54.1 million) with $30.1 million of it guaranteed.
If he’s able to attain the new deal’s maximum value, Brown will surpass the Giants’ Odell Beckham in terms of average annual compensation for a wide receiver. OBJ currently averages $18 million.
The swap cannot be finalized until Wednesday, when the NFL’s new league year begins at 4 p.m. ET.
So ends Brown’s nine-year tenure in the Steel City, where he was a seven-time Pro Bowler and finishes as the second-most prolific receiver in Steelers history (in terms of catches, yards and touchdowns) behind Hines Ward.
However, despite a reputation as a tireless worker, Brown had worn out his welcome by the end of 2018, which ended with him deactivated for a must-win game in the regular-season finale.
