Posted by Darren Urban on July 27, 2011 – 3:20 pm

Wide receiver Steve Breaston hasn’t agreed to a contract anywhere else yet, but a non-Cardinal source confirms Breaston won’t be coming back to the Cardinals. It’s not a shock, given the way the season closed out for Breaston and how the team was looking closely at Andre Roberts. Roberts will be the leading candidate to replace Breaston and be Larry Fitzgerald’s No. 2.

(UPDATE: Breaston agreed to a contract with Kansas City Wednesday afternoon.)

I have no doubt Breaston would have stayed, but it became clear that his worth elsewhere on a new contract was going to exceed what the Cardinals would be thinking. Heading into his fifth NFL season, this could be Breaston’s biggest deal, and he needed to take advantage of what was/will be presented to him. For the Cardinals, I could see them looking at a mid-range veteran in free agency, although the hope is still that Roberts and Early Doucet fulfill their promise.

As for Breaston, he went from a fifth-round return man who then-OC Todd Haley never thought had a prayer to become a viable NFL receiver (the irony that Haley and the Chiefs are rumored to be in the thick of the Breaston/free-agent race) to a 1,000-yard receiver in 2008 on the last offensive play of the regular season against the Seahawks. He scored a key punt return touchdown against his hometown Steelers in 2007, made that amazing forced fumble in St. Louis last year, and was a member of the always-interesting “Backpack Boys” in the locker room. Oh, and he was one of the patient team spokesmen last season after every loss, even as the frustration mounted.

Personally, he’s a guy I would have liked to stick around (and until he signs another deal elsewhere, I guess the hope remains). But if this offseason hasn’t driven home the point enough, business is business, and that includes the NFL.

Tags: Steve Breaston Posted in Blog