Antonio Brown NFL Contracts and Salaries: Steelers to Buccaneers – Full Earnings Timeline

Published June 15, 2025 by Mary Brown
Business - Economic Figures
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Antonio Brown, who is currently making headlines because of his latest off-field controversy, has had a stunning career in the NFL. However, his on-field spectacles are often plagued by the off-field controversies that keep surrounding him ever so often. Despite that, Antonio Brown has found himself on the list of billionaire sports personalities. If you are someone who wants to know more about Antonio Brown’s career earnings so far, the following article is for you. It brings you a detailed estimate of Antonio Brown’s NFL contracts and salaries over the years.

Detailed Estimate Of Antonio Brown’s NFL Contracts And Salaries 

Antonio Brown is often considered one of the highest-paid players in NFL history. According to certain reports, the NFL star has successfully accumulated over $80 million from his career earnings. If you are someone looking for a detailed breakdown of his career earnings, we’ve got you covered. The following is a list of some of his most notable NFL contracts and salaries with various teams. It also includes details of Antonio Brown’s performance for the teams he signed with.

Antonio Brown’s Contract With Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers first drafted Antonio Brown back in 2010 during the 6th round, after which Brown signed a standard rookie deal worth $1,288,075 for three years with the team. His base salary in 2010 was $320,000, along with a signing bonus of $73,075. He was later paid $450,000 in 2011, after which the Steelers extended his contract in 2012 for five more years in a $42.5 million deal. 

In the coming four years, he received $650,000 with a $3,850,000 roster bonus in 2013, $730,000 with a $5,270,000 bonus in 2014, $1,000,000 with a $2,000,000 roster bonus in 2015, and $1,275,000 with a $8,975,000 roster bonus in 2016. Later in 2017, the Steelers extended the contract again for four years for $68 million. This deal included $19 million guaranteed. 

Antonio Brown’s career was at its peak when he was playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Over 9 years, he amassed a total of 837 receptions along with 11,207 receiving yards and a total of 74 receiving touchdowns. His performance in return yardage was also exceptional, with a total of 2,932 return yards and 5 return touchdowns.

Antonio Brown’s NFL Contracts With Oakland Raiders

In the year 2019, the Pittsburgh Steelers traded Antonio Brown to the Oakland Raiders. According to the reports, Antonio signed a restructured deal for $50.125 million with a guaranteed payment of $30.125 million. However, Antonio Brown’s time with the Oakland Raiders was quite limited, and he did not get to see any on-field games. As per the reports, the Oakland Raiders released Antonio Brown amid certain off-field controversies. He was released in the month of September 2019, just before the regular season kicked off. His release ended up voiding most of his guaranteed money and marked the beginning of his struggles.

Antonio Brown’s Contracts With New England Patriots 

After Antonio Brown was released by the Oakland Raiders, he immediately signed a deal with the New England Patriots for $15 million. This includes a signing bonus worth $9 million. Brown played the 2019 NFL season with the New England Patriots and scored a total of 4 receptions for 56 yards along with 1 touchdown. However, this was the only season he played with the New England Patriots, and he was later released yet again because of some off-field controversies. According to the reports, the New England Patriots even held a major chunk of his bonus after his release. 

Antonio Brown’s NFL Contracts With Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Later, in 2020, Antonio Brown made a comeback in the NFL when he signed a one-year deal that was worth $1.66 million, which also included incentives that reportedly reached $6.25 million. His performance for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers marked his official return to his NFL career, and he played a total of 8 regular seasons for the team. His major contributions to the team’s success include a total of 45 receptions for 483 yards along with 4 touchdowns. Brown was a part of the team when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers achieved their Super Bowl LV win.

Following 2020, he was re-signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for one year, which was a deal worth $6.25 million, out of which $3.1 million was fully guaranteed. This also includes a $2 million signing bonus. He played a total of 7 games for the team, out of which he started 3. Antonio had 42 receptions for 545 yards along with 4 touchdowns. However, his 2021 season was cut short after he was released again by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers because of an on-field incident. 

Conclusion 

Antonio Brown’s career is a perfect illustration of exactly how the career of an extremely talented sportsman can be cut short because of controversies. During the early years of his career, especially with the Pittsburgh Steelers, he was known as the most dominant wide receiver and highest-paid player in the NFL. However, his stints with other teams significantly decreased his market value. Despite an $80 million net worth, he is still facing significant financial challenges and has also filed for bankruptcy. The decline in his net worth serves as a warning for young professionals to maintain off-field discipline along with extraordinary skills.

Sources: –

https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/player/earnings/_/id/6702/antonio-brown

https://www.nfl.com/news/steelers-trade-antonio-brown-to-raiders-who-won-who-lost-0ap3000001021716

https://www.nfl.com/news/buccaneers-wr-antonio-brown-agree-to-one-year-deal

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