The Steelers reached a compromise with Antonio Brown that harkens back to the days before the salary cap.
Instead of giving him a new contract with a big raise, they gave their All-Pro wide receiver an advance on his 2016 salary. They took $2 million from next year and put it in the form of a bonus so he could have that money now.
It was enough to satisfy Brown, who said he was “deeply grateful” for it.
“They didn’t have to do it,’’ Brown said. “It just shows what they think about me.