Report: Steelers, Brown making 'significant progress' toward extension

Antonio Brown has long been comfortably among the NFL's elite playmakers, and it's only a matter of time before he has a new contract to show for it.

The Pittsburgh Steelers and their star wide receiver are making "significant progress" toward a big-money contract extension, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport report, citing sources.

The goal of both sides, Rapoport adds, is to have a new deal in place by the beginning of the new league year March 9.

Any long-term deal for Brown, as the market so often dictates for top players at their respective positions, would presumably make him the NFL's highest paid wide receiver.

While there can be some creativity in the length of the contract and the way in which guarantees are structured, he's likely in line for an annual average that exceeds the $15 million of Cincinnati Bengals wideout A.J. Green.

Brown has played at an incredibly high level for the past four seasons, a stretch so dominant that the 106 receptions for 1,284 yards and 12 touchdowns he posted in 2016 felt like something of a down year.

The 28-year-old now has 632 catches, 8,377 yards, and 50 touchdowns since landing with the Steelers as a sixth-round pick back in 2010.