In a perfect world, receiver Mike Wallace would currently be on the field for the Pittsburgh Steelers, working with his fellow wide receivers while soaking up the intricacies of Todd Haley's new offense.
This isn't the case, of course. Wallace is sitting out OTAs, deep in a contract dispute that's threatening to turn nasty.
"There is a lot of frustration with Mike right now," Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "He wants to be here. But at the same time, he wants his paper. Mike feels like he outperformed his last contract."
Wallace, a third-year pro, led the Steelers last season in catches (72), receiving yards (1,193) and touchdowns (8). He would net the team a third-round pick if he leaves in free agency after the upcoming season.
If you're a person who lives for contract drama (this would make you fairly unique), things are about to get interesting. If Wallace doesn't sign his tender before June 15, the Steelers can slash their offer from $2.742 million to $577,000.
Both sides say they want to get a long-term deal done, but it sounds like someone is going to have to blink to make that happen.
