5 reasons the Steelers will make playoffs without Antonio Brown

Losing Antonio Brown might make the Steelers a little less interesting to watch in 2019, but Pittsburgh is still headed to the playoffs next season.

The Steelers entered this offseason with a clear mandate to rid the roster of as much drama as possible. Letting Le’Veon Bell depart via free agency was step one in that process, and shipping Antonio Brown to the Buffalo Bills was step two. Fortunately for fans in Pittsburgh, their team is still well-positioned to make the playoffs again in 2019.

Even if you aren’t in love with the deal in isolation, it’s hard to ignore the potential benefits for the Steelers on the field in 2019. Read on to discover the top five reasons why Tomlin and his team are headed back to the postseason next year.

5. James Washington can step up

In some ways, it looks like the Steelers’ front office saw the drama with Brown coming. That could be a major reason they invested a second round pick in James Washington last season.

At that point, some people questioned whether or not receiver was really a position of need for the franchise. To that point, Washington was used pretty sparingly in his rookie year. He only managed to catch 16 balls for 217 yards and one touchdown last year.

Brown’s departure is going to give him a ton more playing time next season. He showed flashes of brilliance last year, and it’s safe to assume he’ll add a lot more consistent production to his game in his sophomore season.