NFL Rumors: Mike Wallace's Lofty Demands Will Force Him to Remain with Steelers

With consecutive seasons of nearly 1,200 yards and at least eight touchdowns, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Mike Wallace is unquestionably one of the NFL's rising stars at the position. He would certainly fetch a lot on the open market, but Wallace's outrageous demands will give him no option other than to remain a Steeler.

Wallace is a restricted free agent as the 25-year-old speedster is set to enter his fourth season in the league. The Steelers have placed a first-round tender on Wallace, so any team that signs him to an offer sheet would have to give up its first rounder if Pittsburgh fails to match the offer.

According to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee, the San Francisco 49ers inquired about Wallace prior to their signings of Randy Moss and Mario Manningham. Wallace is reportedly asking for a contract that exceeds Arizona Cardinals wideout Larry Fitzgerald's eight-year, $120 million deal, so the Niners balked at his demands.

In all likelihood, every other team in the league will turn their noses up at Wallace as well. Wallace is an excellent, young receiver, but teams would be playing for potential rather than performance if they gave Wallace a bigger contract than Fitzgerald. Wallace has been a good player for two years, while Fitzgerald has gotten the job done for eight years, including spectacular playoff performances.

Not only would a team have to part with its first-round pick in order to secure Wallace, but it would have to make him one of the highest-paid receivers in the league as well. If Wallace simply signs the one-year tender and stays with the Steelers through 2012, though, then he will become an unrestricted free agent in 2013.

This means that every team will have a chance to sign him and they won't have to part with a valuable first rounder. There isn't a team in the league that wouldn't benefit from Wallace's services, but not even the most desperate teams are going to pay him Fitzgerald money at this point.

If Wallace has another great season with the Steelers, then perhaps there will be a team willing to meet his demands next offseason, but he isn't established enough yet. With that said, the only real option for Wallace is to play out the upcoming season as a member of the Steelers.

It's hard to say whether Wallace's demands are a ploy to remain with the Steelers this season and enter unrestricted free agency next season, or he actually believes he is worth more than Fitzgerald, but he has painted himself into a corner either way. The Steelers and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger have to be thrilled that his demands are scaring teams away, though, because he is an extremely valuable asset to the Steelers.

Pittsburgh has already transitioned from a run-first team to a pass-happy team, but the fact that running back Rashard Mendenhall will miss most or all of the 2012 season with a torn ACL will only exacerbate that. With the Steelers sure to sling the ball around the field at will, Wallace should be in line for a huge season.

If by some miracle Wallace is offered the contract that he is looking for then he wouldn't hesitate to sign it, but he is likely perfectly content to put up another big season in Pittsburgh. Wallace will be compensated handsomely soon enough, but at this point his asking price is simply too high for any outside teams to meet.