BALTIMORE, MD - SEPTEMBER 11: Emmanuel Sanders #88 of the Pittsburgh Steelers celebrates his team's only touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on September 11, 2011 in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens defeated the Steelers 35-7. (Photo by Larry French/Getty Images)

PITTSBURGH (93-7 The Fan) — Steelers WR Emmanuel Sanders joined The Fan Morning Show on Wednesday after OTA’s got underway on Tuesday.

He told the guys that getting a restricted free agent tender from the New England Patriots was a win-win situation for him, because no matter how things ended up, he’d be in a good place.

“I just sat back and was patient,” Sanders said. “You know, I had the Pittsburgh Steelers, I had the New England Patriots, those are two great franchises, two great quarterbacks, and so I was in a good situation. So I just waited, I just continued to work hard, and just let the chips fall where they may.”

He explained that he never stopped thinking of himself as a Steeler, even though he started to wonder about his future with the Steelers when they hadn’t made an offer as the midnight deadline drew near.

“The whole time I was thinking I’m still a Pittsburgh Steeler, I was still out here in Pittsburgh,” Sanders said. “It definitely came down to the wire around about [that] four o’clock, five o’clock area, I really started thinking like, ‘Okay, maybe they won’t match the tender, I’ve got to be out in New England tomorrow, so should I start packing? Should I not start packing?'”

When asked if a potential long-term deal was part of the discussion when Sanders’ camp worked out his deal for this season, he admitted that the topic has been broached.

“Of course, and those conversations are going on right now,” Sanders said.

But he made it clear that any talk contract extension is a secondary concern right now.

“You guys keep talking about the contract,” Sanders said. “You guys won’t let the contract go, but you know, at the end of the day, I’m telling you that I’m honest when I say I’m not worried about a contract. The contracts will come.”

The interview can be heard here:

