Antonio Brown's, Le'Veon Bell's Futures Discussed by Steelers GM Kevin Colbert

Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert on Thursday said that a contract extension with superstar wide receiver Antonio Brown is the team's top priority this season, per Dale Lolley of the Observer-Reporter.

Colbert also said that the team has opened negotiations with Brown, according to Will Graves of the Associated Press. He noted that finalizing a new deal with Brown was important since the team promised last year that these extension talks would take place this offseason, per Lolley.

He also put his full faith in running back Le'Veon Bell.

"We have no reservations about him. ... There is no hesitation for us to have him, hopefully, his entire career," Colbert said, per Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Brown, a sixth-round pick in the 2010 NFL draft by the Steelers, has established himself as arguably the top receiver in the NFL and, along with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and Bell, has been a reason why the Steelers have one of the most dangerous offenses in football.

In particular, few receivers have been better over the past four years than the 28-year-old, who has averaged 120 receptions, 1,578 yards and 10 touchdowns per season in that time. 

Bell, meanwhile, has arguably been the best running back in the NFL when he's actually been on the field. Over the past three years, he's averaging an incredible 140 yards from scrimmage per game to go along with 23 total touchdowns.

To put that into perspective, Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk noted in Dec. 2016 that "Jim Brown averaged 125.5 scrimmage yards a game. Barry Sanders averaged 118.9. Terrell Davis averaged 113.9. Walter Payton averaged 111.9. Marshall Faulk averaged 108.8."

Bell, in other words, is posting historically impressive numbers.

But suspensions and injuries have cost Bell 14 games over the past two years, calling into question his reliability. Colbert's vote of confidence is a strong indication that the Steelers are willing to stand beside the talented 24-year-old, however.

Like Bell, Brown has had a few issues of his own, none more glaring than his curious decision to live-stream head coach Mike Tomlin's postgame locker room speech on Facebook Live after the Steelers beat the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Divisional Round in January.

While Brown apologized, reports began to emerge suggesting that Brown cared more about his own stats than anything else and that he would pout or complain if he didn't like how he was being utilized in the offense or wasn't throw to when he was open.

For the Steelers, however, any of those issues appear to be water under the bridge at this point. Given Brown's incredible production and the fact that he's generally been a model citizen off the field, it isn't hard to understand why.