The Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League faced a tricky negotiation dilemma. Midway through his contract, star wide receiver Antonio Brown asked the team to revisit the six-year, $42.5 million deal he had signed in 2012. Having developed into arguably the league’s top receiver, Brown felt his compensation no longer reflected his value.
The challenge for both sides became clear: how could they reward performance while preserving team policy and maintaining locker-room fairness?
For negotiators looking for a practical takeaway:
Mutual gains negotiation works when parties look beyond rigid positions and find creative ways to satisfy core interests without forcing a winner–loser outcome.
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Performance-Based Incentives Without Renegotiation
The Steelers wanted to reward Brown and keep him motivated. But the franchise also had a longstanding policy: it did not renegotiate contracts midstream, except with quarterbacks in limited circumstances. Breaking that rule for Brown risked opening the door for other players to demand similar treatment.
Instead of reopening the contract, the team found a workaround.
According to ESPN reporter Jeremy Fowler, the Steelers advanced $4 million of Brown’s future salary, raising his 2016 earnings to $10.25 million and placing him among the league’s highest-paid receivers that season. The move helped satisfy Brown while leaving the contract itself intact.
The strategy also set the stage for Brown to negotiate a new long-term deal when the timing aligned with team policy—which he eventually did in 2017.
Importantly, this was not the first time Pittsburgh had used this tactic. After Brown’s standout 2015 season, the team similarly advanced $2 million of future earnings.
By advancing salary rather than renegotiating, the Steelers upheld organizational policy while still rewarding a star player—illustrating mutual gains negotiation in action.
What Does “Mutual Gains” Mean in Negotiation?
People often assume mutual gains mean both sides simply walk away with more money. But mutual gains extend far beyond price.
In integrative negotiations, which involve multiple issues, parties can often create value by making smart tradeoffs based on differing priorities. This contrasts with distributive negotiations, where parties fight over a single issue, usually price.
A simple illustration: imagine a couple planning a night out. One partner cares more about the movie choice, the other about the restaurant. Each can concede on what matters less to them while gaining on what matters more—leaving both happier overall.
Negotiation works the same way.
How Negotiators Create Mutual Gains
Mutual gains arise when negotiators leverage differences rather than fight over them. Common opportunities include:
1. Different Beliefs About the Future
An entrepreneur may be optimistic about a product’s success while an investor remains cautious. A contingent contract—combining upfront payment with performance-based payouts—allows both sides to bet on their expectations and reach agreement.
2. Different Risk Tolerance
In a joint venture, one firm may be more risk-averse. That party might accept smaller upside profits in exchange for reduced exposure to losses, while the more risk-tolerant partner accepts greater risk for greater reward.
3. Different Time Preferences
One party may value immediate returns more than long-term gains. Negotiators can structure profit-sharing so one side receives larger early returns while the other benefits later.
4. Different Values or Organizational Goals
MIT professor Lawrence Susskind notes that companies motivated by profit may still achieve savings while satisfying stakeholders with different priorities—such as communities seeking environmental improvements through cleaner technologies.
Reframing: The Steelers’ Negotiation Move
The Steelers and Brown achieved mutual gains through reframing.
Rather than renegotiating the contract—a move that would violate team policy—the parties reframed the issue as a salary advance. Brown received immediate financial recognition, and the team preserved policy consistency.
Reframing is common in business negotiations. For example:
- Employers may reward employees with bonuses, stock options, or tuition benefits rather than raising salary bands.
- Companies may offer contract extensions, flexible terms, or performance bonuses instead of immediate price increases.
Changing how the issue is defined can unlock solutions previously off the table.
The Negotiation Takeaway
If a negotiation feels complicated, that’s often a good sign.
The more issues and differences present, the more opportunities exist to create mutual gains. Successful negotiators search for creative tradeoffs, rather than forcing concessions on a single issue.
The Steelers–Brown episode demonstrates how negotiators can satisfy competing interests without breaking core rules.
Have you created mutual gains in a negotiation? Share your experiences with our readers in the comments.
Claim your FREE copy: Negotiation Skills
Build powerful negotiation skills and become a better dealmaker and leader. Download our FREE special report, Negotiation Skills: Negotiation Strategies and Negotiation Techniques to Help You Become a Better Negotiator, from the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School.
