Mike Wallace has been at the center of one of the biggest contract disputes of the offseason, and it appears that he’s not willing to report to camp until he gets the new deal he wants.
According to Adam Schefter, Mike Wallace won’t report to camp when it begins tomorrow. The star receiver has yet to sign his first round restricted free agent tender that is set to pay him $2.7 million this season. It’s Wallace’s hope that he can make considerably more than that this year as well as securing his long term future in Pittsburgh with a new deal.
In his three seasons with the Steelers, Wallace has 171 receptions for 3,206 yards and 24 touchdowns. Wallace is a deep ball threat for Pittsburgh, and he’s often the fastest player on the field, giving him an open field advantage over nearly every defender in the league.
The Steelers and Wallace have consistently expressed a mutual desire to agree upon a long term deal, but hammering out a contract has been complicated by the Steelers’ very tight salary cap situation and Wallace’s desire to be one of the top paid receivers in the league. Still Wallace, the Steelers, and Pittsburgh fans must be more optimistic now than they were near the beginning of the offseason. At that time, it appeared the Steelers could tie up Wallace with a restricted free agent tender, and the receiver would be allowed to explore free agency following the 2012 season, but it now appears a long term deal is not only feasible, but likely.
