Getty Oakland Raiders WR Antonio Brown.
It’s been a whirlwind of a 24-hour period for the Oakland Raiders and Antonio Brown. The star wide receiver has found himself in the middle of another controversy, this time involving general manager Mike Mayock. At first, it looked like Brown may face a suspension, but based on what Jon Gruden has had to say, that’s not going to happen anymore. This is likely due to the fact that Brown gave an “emotional apology” to his team shortly before Friday’s practice. The All-Pro receiver had a chance to address the media after practice.
Antonio Brown’s statement (he didn’t take questions)
“I’m excited to be out here today,” said Brown. “I want to apologize to my teammates, the organization. Enough talk, man…ready for all the fans.”
Brown did not take any questions after his brief statement. It’s a surprising development that he’s going to play against the Broncos. The Raiders certainly value his talent quite a bit.
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Derek Carr Chimes In
Per Scott Bair of NBC Sports, starting quarterback for the Raiders, Derek Carr, had a chance to talk about the Brown situation.
Derek Carr said that Antonio Brown was up in a team meeting with Raiders captains today when he apologized for what happened Wednesday, and said the team is ready to move forward and on from this incident.
“He said some things, we said some things and at the end of it, we were ready to move forward,” Carr said, per Paul Gutierrez.
It looked like Carr and Brown may have had a slight falling out considering the wide receiver unfollowed his quarterback on Instagram. It would seem that they are trying to put this in the past and move forward with the start of the season looming. The Brown-Carr connection should be the centerpiece of the entire offense, so those two men will need to be on the same page if the Raiders are going to succeed.
Greg Olson Gives His Thoughts on the Situation
Offensive coordinator Greg Olson took the podium to speak with the media after Friday’s practice.
“I’d had planned on having him all along,” said Olson when asked about Brown’s inclusion in Monday night’s game. “We had a little bit of a glitch the other day, but that’s been cleared up, so nothing’s really changed.”
It’s good news that Olson planned on having Brown for the game because Monday is getting closer and closer. It would be difficult for them to change their whole offensive game plan this close to the opener.
Antonio Brown Denies Rumors
According to ESPN, Brown is denying rumors that he called Mike Mayock a racial slur and that he made a scene in front of the team.
Antonio Brown told me there was never a scuffle at practice. He said he did not use the word “cracker” and would never use that word…Everything has been blown out of proportion”
“I spoke with Mike Mayock 1-on-1, man-to-man.”
#Raiders
He also claims that “everything has been blown out of the proportion.” Regardless, something happened and that something obviously wasn’t good. The specifics probably don’t matter as much, but Brown is definitely on the team’s bad side. He may have won this battle, but there’s only so much drama a team can take. Just ask Pittsburgh. The truth of the whole situation will probably never be revealed. However, the optics of it certainly aren’t good for a young team who is trying to turn things around.
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