Antonio Brown spent the last week in the news, but it was for getting into a shouting match with the Oakland Raiders’ general manager, Mike Mayock, over being fined.
In an off season the Raiders would like to forget, Brown has gone from refusing to play without his old helmet style to posting a fine letter from the Raiders and sharing his displeasure at being fined for missing the team’s August 23 walk through. He’d also previously been fined for missing training camp on August 18, both of which were unexcused absences for mandatory participation.
The two reportedly got into a shouting match on the practice field on this past Wednesday in front of players and coaches that ended with Brown allegedly threatening to his Mayock in the face. Brown them reportedly punted a football and told Mayock to fine him for that.
This led to Brown not expected to play in their season opened on Monday Night against the Denver Broncos. It’s also raised concerns that the team will suspend him for conduct detrimental to the team. Any suspension could allow the team to reclaim the $30 million guaranteed money he was paid and allow them to cut ties with him with a minimal cap hit if they can prove it.
His agent, Drew Rosenhous, has said he hasn’t heard anything about a suspension yet, and believes Brown wants to be a Raider and will have “a great season.”
In what seems to be a regular occurrence for the Raiders since losing their last Super Bowl appearance in 2002, things just could settle with that.
And just like that…
With tensions through the roof, the Raiders released Brown after voiding his contract, including his $30 million in guaranteed money. Within hours, the New England Patriots signed him to a one year, $15 million deal with $9 million guaranteed.
While this seems odd, there were reports last year that Brown wanted to go to the Patriots, but the Steelers weren’t about to trade him to a conference rival, choosing instead to send him to Oakland where the team was little threat. It didn’t take long for rumors to start that he planned this and his outbursts in Pittsburgh and Oakland were simply to get him to his final destination.
The truth of this will remain a mystery for who knows how long, but the one thing we’ll soon find out is how he’ll fit in with the Patriots.
Reports indicate that Tom Brady is excited to have him on the roster starting in week two, as he’s not only a deep threat like Randy Moss, he’s also Julian Edelman-like in his work in the middle of the field. If he doesn’t work out with the Patriots, this may be it for his career.
