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NFL

Steelers want Brown to end career in Pittsburgh

The Steelers have begun negotiating a contract with wide receiver Antonio Brown that would keep him in Pittsburgh for the rest of his career.

“We want Antonio to retire a Steeler for life,” Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert told reporters on Thursday.

Colbert said getting a contract done with Brown was a “priority” in a year when running back Le’Veon Bell is likely to receive the franchise tag.

Brown posted a picture of himself with his agent Drew Rosenhaus in Pittsburgh on his Snapchat account earlier in the week, a sign Rosenhaus was in the area to talk about a new contract.

The Steelers appear to be making good on their promise to rework Brown’s contract In the offseason. They restructured his contract in August, advancing $4 million of his 2017 salary into his base salary for 2016.

Brown, 28, is considered one of the best receivers in the league and has been a key piece of the Steelers offense for the past several seasons. He has one year left on a five-year, $42 million contract he signed in 2012.

A 2010 sixth-round pick out of Central Michigan, Brown has been to five Pro Bowls and has earned three first-team All-Pro nods in his seven seasons. He led the league with 1,698 receiving yards in 2014.

He is the first player in Steelers history to finish with 1,000 receiving yards and 10 receiving touchdowns in three straight seasons.

Brown drew the ire of Steelers coach Mike Tomlin for posting a Facebook Live video of Tomlin’s postgame speech after a win against the Chiefs in the divisional round of the playoffs, but the incident appears to have been put to rest as the team moves into the offseason.

NFL

What will Chiefs do at No. 2 behind Alex Smith?

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs have ended whatever suspense there might have been about the identity of their starting quarterback in 2017. General manager John Dorsey recently said that Alex Smith “absolutely” would be the starter when the Chiefs begin play next season.

“We’ve said all along he’s the starter,” Dorsey said. “I don’t know what more you want to say. We have a playoff team. He’s led this franchise to three playoff seasons out of four, which is pretty good in my eyes.”

Tyler Bray has spent four seasons with the Chiefs but never played in a regular-season game. Denny Medley/USA TODAY Sports

So forget about the Chiefs pursuing Tony Romo, which seemed a long shot to begin with because of his massive contract. It also would rule out Nick Foles, last season’s backup. The NFL Network reported the Chiefs would decline to pick up the option on the final season of Foles’ contract, which is no surprise given their public stance on Smith.

Otherwise, the Chiefs still have work to do at quarterback. Their other QBs are Tyler Bray and Joel Stave. Bray has been with the Chiefs four seasons, though he never has played in a regular-season game. The Chiefs obviously see potential in the talented Bray. They’ve kept him around a long time despite little return and at one point even extended his contract and bumped his salary before such a move became necessary.

But the fact the Chiefs felt it necessary to sign Foles as their backup last summer would indicate they weren’t comfortable at that point, at least, with Bray as their No. 2 quarterback.

Stave joined the Chiefs on their practice squad last year.

So the Chiefs have a veteran in Smith and a couple of developmental candidates in Bray and Stave. Look for them to add at least one more quarterback, whether that’s a veteran or a draft pick, before practice begins in the spring.

NFL

Source: Dolphins to release veteran LT Albert

The Miami Dolphins are planning on releasing starting left tackle Branden Albert, a source confirmed to ESPN’s Adam Caplan.

The Dolphins also plan to release defensive tackle Earl Mitchell, a source confirmed to Caplan.

NFL Network first reported the news of the Dolphins’ plans.

Albert wasn’t offered a pay cut or restructured contract before his release, a source told ESPN’s James Walker.

Albert had two years left on his contract, but neither season carried any guaranteed money. He was scheduled to be paid $8.9 million and would have counted $10.6 million against the cap in 2017. By releasing him, the Dolphins save $7.2 million on their cap. The release of Albert leaves $3.4 million in dead money on their cap.

The Dolphins plan to release left tackle Branden Albert, who had two seasons left on his contract. Winslow Townson/AP Images for Panini

Mitchell was to make $3.975 million in 2017 (not guaranteed). Scheduled to count $4.5 million against the Dolphins’ salary cap, his release saves the Dolphins $4 million on their cap, with $500,000 in dead money left over.

The Dolphins might move 2016 first-round pick Laremy Tunsil to left tackle to replace Albert if the veteran doesn’t re-sign with Miami on a more team-friendly contract. Tunsil, a left tackle in college at Ole Miss, played left guard in his rookie season.

Albert, 32, is a two-time Pro Bowl selection, including in 2015 with the Dolphins. The Kansas City Chiefs drafted him No. 15 overall in the 2008 draft.

He didn’t play a full season in any of his three seasons with the Dolphins because of injuries, including a dislocated wrist last season that he had surgically repaired in November. He started all 35 games he played for the Dolphins, including 12 last season.

Mitchell, 29, played the past three seasons for the Dolphins after the Houston Texans selected him in the third round of the 2010 draft. Last season he was limited to nine games (five starts) because of a calf injury.

He has 206 tackles and 5.5 sacks in his career.

NFL

Rams-Niners rivalry gets new twist with Sean McVay, Kyle Shanahan

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Sean McVay’s message to Kyle Shanahan when he accepted his first head-coaching job: “I can’t tell you how happy I am for you, but I can’t believe I’ve got to see you twice a year now.”

The long-standing rivalry between the Los Angeles Rams and the San Francisco 49ers, often-times intense during the Rams’ original stint in Southern California, now has a compelling new twist: McVay, whose grandfather was part of five Super Bowl titles as a 49ers executive, is the Rams’ new head coach. Shanahan, initially deemed a favorite for the Rams’ vacant post, is the 49ers’ new head coach.

Rams coach Sean McVay said that new 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan had a strong influence on his offensive beliefs. Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images

And, of course, they have history.

Shanahan was the Redskins’ offensive coordinator from 2010-13, while his father, Mike Shanahan, served as head coach. McVay coached tight ends during that four-year stretch, then replaced Shanahan as offensive coordinator after he departed for the Browns.

“Kyle is a guy who’s had a tremendous influence on some of the things I believe in offensively,” McVay said. “He’s a great coach, and I wish him nothing but the best for 14 games — except for those two next year.”

The 49ers won only two games under Chip Kelly in 2016, but both of those wins came against the 4-12 Rams that were led by Jeff Fisher. They embarrassed the Rams, 28-0, during the Monday Night Football opener from Levi’s Stadium, then came from behind to hand them a 22-21 loss at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in the second-to-last game of the regular season.

By that point, McVay was calling plays for the Redskins and Shanahan was offensive coordinator for the Falcons, who had an MVP quarterback in Matt Ryan and put together one of the most impressive offensive seasons in NFL history. The Rams were scheduled to meet with Shanahan during the weekend of the Falcons’ playoff bye week, but inclement weather derailed their plans. They rescheduled for the following weekend, but ultimately hired McVay days earlier, making one of the biggest decisions in franchise history without even sitting down with Shanahan.

The Rams felt they had their guy and didn’t really care to wait, but only time will tell if they made the right decision.

The Rams and 49ers finished first or second 11 times from 1970-89. But that seems like a lifetime ago. They’ve been the two worst teams in the NFC West each of the past three years, and it’ll be up to McVay and Shanahan, two of the game’s sharpest offensive minds, to turn their respective fortunes around.

Shanahan, who accepted the job immediately after the Falcons’ devastating loss to the Patriots in Super Bowl LI, is six years older than McVay, who, at 31, is the youngest coach in the NFL’s modern era.

The Grudens, Jon and Jay, were major influences on McVay — but so were the Shanahans.

“We’re all a product of our experiences,” McVay said. “Certainly Kyle and Coach Shanahan’s offense has had a big influence on what I believe and how I think you want to attack a defense. But it’s going to be something that’s going to be an ongoing process, figuring out our players first and then how we fit that scheme to their skill sets.”

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