It's Time for Pittsburgh Steelers to Stop Using Antonio Brown as Punt Returner

Antonio Brown is not only the Pittsburgh Steelers' top receiver, in 2014 he was the best receiver in the NFL. This moment has been building for a while—after all, Brown went into the 2014 season with a 16-game streak of at least five catches for at least 50 yards per game, a streak he extended to 32 games at the close of the year.

Few receivers are more adept at creating yards after the catch, owing not just to Brown's speed and shiftiness but also his pure football instincts. And seemingly no receiver has built as much of a rapport with his quarterback than Brown has with Steelers passer Ben Roethlisberger. He's an invaluable part of what ultimately was the league's second-most productive offense in 2014.

And that's why it's time for Brown to stop returning punts. 

Year	Rec.	Rec. Yds.	Rec. TD	Rec. YPG	P. Rets.	Ret. Yds.	Ret. TD	YPRet.
2010	16	167	0	18.6	19	110	0	5.8
2011	69	1,108	2	69.3	30	325	1	10.8
2012	66	787	5	60.5	27	183	0	6.8
2013	110	1,499	8	93.7	32	409	1	12.8
2014	129	1,698	13	106.1	30	319	1	10.6

Brown became the Steelers' primary kick and punt returner in 2010, and in 2011, he became the first player in NFL history to reach 1,000 receiving yards and 1,000 returning yards in a season. Starting in 2012, Brown was relegated to punt return duties only, and in 2013 and 2014, he had over 300 punt return yards and a punt returned for a touchdown in each season.

It's easy to see how Brown's skills as a receiver would translate to the return game. He can display the same speed and shiftiness as he does when he's gaining yards after the catch, and it's paid dividends for the Steelers.

Brown had the league's fourth-most punt return yardage in 2014. When field position matters, Brown has done a good job of putting the Steelers in a good position before the ball has been snapped on a given drive.

But because Brown means so much to his team, risking his health as a returner needs to come to an end. Yes, wide receiving duties in the NFL aren't without risks, but those risks double—or even triple—in the far more chaotic world of punt returns.

The Steelers shouldn't face sacrificing what Brown provides as a receiver for what he provides as a punt returner, especially because Brown's value as a receiver is far higher than as a returner.

Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Brown returned 30 punts last year for an average of 10.6 yards per punt return. On average, that means that Brown returned 1.9 punts per game for an average of 20.1 yards per game. In contrast, Brown averaged 106.1 receiving yards per game last year. And he had only one return touchdown to 13 receiving scores. 

Why risk losing over 100 yards of offense and nearly one receiving touchdown per game in order to gain 20 yards of return yardage? After all, Brown is so good at earning yards as a receiver that he can make up those 20 yards in a simple catch-and-run play from Roethlisberger. The rewards of using Brown as a returner, compared to the risks, are not worth putting Pittsburgh's offense in jeopardy twice a game.

But that's not a concern to Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. When asked about Brown reprising his role as the team's punt returner for 2015, Tomlin was defiant, saying at the NFL owners' meetings earlier this year, "I don't live in my fears, I'll say that." He also detailed the reasoning behind having Brown handling return duties despite how important he is to the offense, saying: 

"

Why would I relieve him of that (laughing)? No. It's a way for him to impact the game. It's something that he enjoys doing and is very, very good at doing. It's an asset to us and one that we've gone to in the past and may continue to go to in the future. We may also give some young upstarts like Dri Archer an opportunity to show what they’re capable of. I'm excited about where that may go for us this year whether it's Antonio Brown, whether it's Dri Archer whether it's a player to be named later.

"

Though that does seem to indicate that Tomlin is open to a change should someone else prove to be similarly as effective at returning punts, it also points to Tomlin not turning away from Brown simply because of the risk it poses to Brown's health. And it's true—Tomlin shouldn't let fear guide his decision-making process.

But it's more than fear. The Steelers could not have won 11 games last season without Brown. And should Brown ever suffer an injury returning a punt, Tomlin will be the one to (rightfully) take the considerable heat. Further, the Steelers aren't lacking in players who can step in for Brown as a punt returner this year.

Archer, as Tomlin mentioned, is one option. Archer returned nine kickoffs for 161 yards last year and one punt for two yards. But Archer may be tagged to be the team's kickoff returner again this year, and thus the Steelers may not want him also on punt return duties. It could, at least, provide opportunities to take the field that he may otherwise not have as either a receiver or returner.

An even better choice for punt returner is receiver Markus Wheaton. Wheaton returned 20 kickoffs last year for 494 yards and averaged the 14th-most yards per kick return at 24.7.

Wheaton, like Brown and Archer, has considerable speed, and his proven ability to return kickoffs should easily translate to the realm of punt returns. And should he fall injured, it's a blow the Steelers offense will be able to weather; the same simply cannot be said about Brown, no matter how crass it seems.

But no matter what Tomlin and the Steelers brass decide this summer, Brown as a punt returner should be an option taken off the table. It was a fine job for Brown when he was a younger receiver trying to prove he had value—any value—to his team. But now that he's emerged as the NFL's best receiver and an irreplaceable member of Pittsburgh's offense, it's time to protect him.

It's not about living in fear, it's about doing what is smart. Brown's impact as a receiver is far greater and far more important to the Steelers than any punt he returns from here on out.