With Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown now apparently back on the trade market, the chatter around a potential deal is set to ramp up again. On Thursday night, it seemed Brown could be on his way to the Buffalo Bills, but things didn’t pan out. There were a number of reports behind the situation, but one thing that seems certain is that he won’t be heading to the Bills at this point.
One team that’s been linked to Brown since the beginning is the Oakland Raiders, and running back Jalen Richard is now apparently ready to do a bit of recruitment. Richard took to Twitter to send a quick shoutout to the Steelers star amid trade talks getting underway again.
It’s certainly well-timed from the 25-year-old back, although Brown’s future is very much up in the air currently. It also seems that there may be a reason why things didn’t come together with the Raiders.
Antonio Brown Trade With Bills Doesn’t Pan Out
After NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport first reported the news of the two sides finalizing a deal, he addressed the topic hours later when things had fallen apart. As Rapoport told Good Morning Football, Brown would not commit to showing up in Buffalo and in turn, the Bills are “out” of trade talks.
With Brown now back on the market, the Raiders again become a team to watch for obvious reasons. They opted to trade former No. 1 wideout Amari Cooper to the Dallas Cowboys last season and could certainly use a big-time offensive weapon for Derek Carr.
Raiders Were at ‘Forefront’ of Trade Talks, Balked at Extension
When the original report of a deal being near came to light, Rapoport proceeded to point out that the Raiders, Washington Redskins and Tennessee Titans were in the mix. He stated that the trio of teams had jumped “to the forefront” of talks with the Steelers.
But in an interesting twist, Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal spoke about the situation and reported the Raiders “balked” at a new contract and opted to hold off on a trade.
It’s unknown how the Raiders will approach the situation at this point, but Brown’s potential unwillingness to report to Buffalo could impact trade offers. Assuming that’s the case, Oakland could make a push for the All-Pro receiver at a lower price, but that all comes down to what the Steelers are willing to accept at this point.
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Raiders RB Jalen Richard Recruits Antonio Brown After Bills Trade Drama