With the Super Bowl now in the books with the Patriots' 13-3 victory Sunday night over the Rams in Atlanta, giving New England a sixth championship to match the Steelers for the most in the Super Bowl era, the offseason is clearly now in focus.
For the Steelers, that means it's time to get serious about a number of things, most notably what their next step will be with Antonio Brown.
But that's hardly all that awaits the team over the next six weeks.
Brown tweeted Sunday asking Steelers fans to retweet his post if they wanted him back with the team in 2019. Of course, for that to happen, Brown would have to return to the team with hat in hand and offer his apologies for running out on the team before its regular season finale Dec. 30 against Cincinnati.
Given all that has transpired since, odds are better that Brown will be traded than they are on him returning, even though a number of his teammates have expressed a desire to have the All-Pro receiver back in 2019.
"I know everybody is looking for quick fixes. Everybody is looking for somebody to get traded or to move on," Cam Heyward said last month at the Pro Bowl in Orlando. "We’re playing the sport we love and I’m playing with guys I care about, and think the world of, who are the best in the world at their positions. I want them here, in Pittsburgh with me. We went through a lot this year. We handled some better than others. We learn and move on. I just want another opportunity.
"I’m talking about Antonio. I love the guy. I think the world of the guy. I love that he strives to be the No. 1 receiver. ... I’d love to have him on our team. That’s all I can ask for. I look forward to the season with a bunch of guys whose intent is to win the Super Bowl."
Is that a reality for the Steelers coming off a 9-6-1 season that saw them miss the playoffs for the first time since 2013?
According to oddsmakers it certainly seems to be the case. Immediately after the Super Bowl ended, odds were released placing the Steelers at 14/1, tied for the third-best to make next season.
NFL Super Bowl LIV (2020) updated
KC 6/1
LAR, NO, NE 8/1
LAC, Chi, Pit 14/1
Min, GB, Dal 16/1
Phi, Bal, Ind, Cle, Hou 20/1
Sea 30/1
Atl, Jax, NYG 40/1
SF 50/1
Car, Ten, Den 60/1
TB, NYJ 80/1
Wsh, Det, Buf, Cin, Oak, Ari 100/1
Mia 300/1
— Jeff Sherman (@golfodds) February 4, 2019
That might change depending on what happens with Brown, but the fact is the Steelers return a solid roster that includes six players other than Brown who were Pro Bowl players in 2018.
The Steelers haven't been active in trying to trade Brown just yet -- despite president Art Rooney II saying last month he has a difficult time seeing the receiver as part of the team in 2019 -- but that will certainly heat up at the NFL Scouting Combine at the end of February. After all, Brown can't officially be dealt until the new league year begins March 13.
Another decision looming for the Steelers involves what to do with Le'Veon Bell. The All-Pro running back skipped the entire 2018 season after having the franchise tag placed on him for a second time and is scheduled to become a free agent again.
While the Steelers won't use the franchise tag on Bell again -- it would cost more than $25 million -- the NFL Management Council has informed the Steelers it can use the transition tag on him, something that has never been done before.
But the Steelers would do so only in an effort to get something in return for the running back in 2018 via a trade with any team that might sign him to an offer sheet. The Steelers would then have a week to match the offer, or more importantly, work out a trade with the team that wants Bell.
If the Steelers choose not to match the offer and cannot work out a trade, they would run the risk of not receiving anything in return for Bell. If they do nothing and he signs elsewhere, they would have the opportunity to receive a compensatory pick in 2020.
It's a risky gamble, which is why the Steelers haven't yet made up their mind if they will do so. Teams can begin to use the franchise or transition tags on Feb. 19 and have until March 5 to do so.
The team also will have until March 13 to begin working on deals with potential free agents of its own. The Steelers have 15 players set to reach unrestricted free agency, including Bell, guard Ramon Foster, cornerback Coty Sensabaugh, tight end Jesse James and punter Jordan Berry.
The Steelers will try to sign some of those guys before they hit the open market, while also making qualifying offers to their two restricted free agents, guard B.J. Finney and tight end Xavier Grimble.
One other interesting thing to watch will be what the team does with linebacker Ryan Shazier.
Shazier missed the entire 2018 season because of a spinal cord injury, but has expressed an interest in returning to play someday. The Steelers would like to keep him around, but NFL rules prohibit them from paying him to serve in another role.
So the Steelers could sign him to a minimum contract to both retain his rights and allow him to continue to rehab at the team facility.
"There are some technicalities about somebody going from staff to player," Rooney said. "So, at this point, as I said, I think his goal is to continue to be a player, and so we’ll have to address it as time goes on and figure out how that works."
Finally, the Steelers will have to figure out what they intend to do with a pair of former first-round draft picks.
The Steelers picked up the fifth-year option on linebacker Bud Dupree at $9.2 million for 2019. But the Steelers don't want to pay Dupree that much money, so working out a long-term deal at a lower yearly cost could be in the works.
Meanwhile, the team seems unlikely to pick up the fifth-year option on 2016 first-round draft pick Artie Burns, meaning the cornerback, who was benched in the first half of 2018 in favor of Sensabaugh, would be a free agent at the end of 2019 -- assuming he makes the team.
