It feels odd calling 2016 a down year for Antonio Brown. Many wide receivers would kill for a season which included 106 receptions, 1,284 yards, and 12 touchdowns. For Brown, however, it was statistically his worse season in four years.

There’s no doubting his level of play remained at an elite level and that he helped the Steelers win many games, but the drop in catches plus yards is significant when comparing his numbers. Here are Antonio Brown’s stats over the past four seasons:

Year	Catches	Yards	Touchdowns
2013	110	1499	8
2014	129	1698	13
2015	136	1834	16
2016	106	1284	12

While still putting up impressive numbers in 2016, an elite talent like Brown is expected to produce at an equal or greater level than the year before. The drop in production wasn’t entirely his fault, as the Steelers lacked a true #2 wide receiver in 2016. Injuries and suspensions hurt the wide receiver depth chart significantly in 2016. Teams were able to double and triple cover Brown often as they weren’t afraid of being beat by players like Cobi Hamilton.

There is at least one reason to be optimistic that Brown can improve upon his 2016 stats, however: the return of Martavis Bryant.

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It’s no coincidence that the years Bryant played were Brown’s best. Bryant is a big play threat that demands the attention of the opposing defense. Leave him in single coverage and he could burn you with his 4.42 speed or out-jump you with his 39-inch vertical leap.

The Steelers lacked that sort of player in 2016. Sammie Coates flashed this type talent in the first few games of the year, but injuries and inconsistency plagued his season. The Steelers second leading pass catcher was Eli Rogers, a slot receiver who is a solid player but not the type who will make a defense gameplan for him.

AB has been at his best with a great supporting cast around him; whether it be Martavis Bryant, Heath Miller, or even Markus Wheaton. A look at the Steelers top three receivers (running backs excluded) behind Brown over the past four years makes his lack of help in 2016 glaringly obvious.

2016

Name	Yards
Eli Rogers	594
Sammie Coates	435
Jesse James	338
Total yards:	1367

2015

Name	Yards
Martavis Bryant	765
Markus Wheaton	749
Heath Miler	535
Total yards:	2049

2014

Names	Yards
Heath Miller	761
Markus Wheaton	644
Martavis Bryant	549
Total yards	1954

2013

Name	Yards
Emmanuel Sanders	740
Jerricho Cotchery	602
Heath Miller	593
Total yards	1935

As you can see, in Brown’s best years his supporting cast played a significant role in the offense. Each season the top three receivers behind him total roughly 2,000 yards of offense. Seeing that number at 1,367 for 2016 is not a pretty sight, especially when considering Coates was third in receiving after starting only five games and having about 30% of his total yards come from one game.

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Thankfully for Brown, the Steelers offense, and Steelers fans alike, this squad will look totally different in 2017. The return of Bryant will be huge. Anytime a player comes off a one-year suspension it’s fair to be apprehensive about them, but from what we’ve seen so far Bryant seems like a changed man. In interviews, he admitted his heart wasn’t in the game in the past and he coasted on pure talent.

Now he claims his mindset has completely changed and he’s determined to turn his career around. The ten pounds of muscle he put on during his time away is a testament to that.

From what Bryant has said, the incredible plays he made in the past came without sub-par effort and commitment. Now that he has his head on straight, there’s no telling what Bryant’s ceiling will be in 2017.

Brown may have had a statistically “down” year in 2016, but that season has passed. With the return of a better-than-ever Martavis Bryant, Brown should have no problem matching or even surpassing his 2016 numbers, and possibly having his greatest season to date. (Unless of course, Bryant has his greatest season on record too!)