Getty Oakland Raiders head coach Jon Gruden.
Things didn’t look good for Trent Brown’s playing status heading into the Oakland Raiders‘ matchup with the Green Bay Packers and it’s now confirmed he won’t play. He suffered a calf strain at Monday’s practice and hasn’t recovered.
The following players are inactive for #OAKvsGB: t.co/49mN6VKSsG
Brown is far from the team’s only inactive. New wide receiver Zay Jones won’t be making his Raiders debut just yet as he is still learning the offense. Dwayne Harris, Arden Key, DeShone Kizer, Keisean Nixon and Tyrell Williams are all inactive. That means Oakland is without three starters for this matchup.
Good news: Gabe Jackson wasn’t on the inactive list, so it looks like he’ll be making his season debut. It’s unclear if he’ll start, but having him on the field is a very positive sign. He’s been a big part of the Raider offensive line for several years now and his return should help with interior blocking.
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Tyrell Williams Believes in the Raiders’ WRs
While it’s smart to give Zay Jones some more time to learn the offense, it’s still surprising that he’s not going to at least suit up. The Raiders wide receiver corps now consists of Trevor Davis, Marcell Ateman, Hunter Renfrow and Keelan Doss. Not exactly the most exciting group, but Tyrell Williams believes in them.
It’s good that Williams is excited about them. All things considered, this is the group that played when the Raiders beat the Chicago Bears in Week 5. That being said, the team won that game because of the running game and less so because of the passing game. Green Bay doesn’t have one of the top pass defenses in the NFL, so these guys should get some open looks. This matchup should be another Josh Jacobs masterclass as the Packers have a poor run defense. Jon Gruden just needs his wide receivers to make a couple of big plays if the team is going to win.
Things Aren’t Looking Good for Antonio Brown’s Grievance
In news that’s completely unrelated to Sunday’s game, Antonio Brown probably won’t be winning any money from the Raiders. According to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen, Brown’s grievance to win some of his guaranteed money back from Oakland hit a snag when the team revealed text messages he sent to Mark Davis asking for his release.
Antonio Brown’s grievance to recoup some his $30 million in guaranteed money took a hit in discovery when the @Raiders submitted multiple text messages from Brown to owner Mark Davis, asking for his release, per sources. The Raiders obliged Sept. 7.
What Mortensen forgets to mention is that Brown also publicly asked for his release on his Instagram page. The team gave him what he wanted rather quickly and both parties moved on. However, Brown isn’t one to simply give up. It was always going to be a long shot for him to get his money from the Raiders due to his behavior during his tenure with the team. His behavior was erratic, he missed practices and was just generally not a good teammate.
It’s unclear what his argument is as to why he should get the money, but his chances don’t seem great. If he plans to get some serious money, he’s going to have to hope that his attempt at a comeback actually happens.
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