Getty Free agent WR Antonio Brown.
Had Antonio Brown stuck with the Raiders, he would’ve been on top of the world. He would’ve been the team’s biggest star and Jon Gruden had built the offense around him. Raider Nation would’ve fought to the death for him and he’d be heading into Las Vegas as one of the leaders of the team. Unfortunately, he got in his own way and never even played a game with the team.
What followed was a downward spiral for the former All-Pro and he only played in one game in 2019. He’s now trying to do his best to stay out of trouble and revealed recently that he spoke to head coach Jon Gruden. On The Breakfast Club podcast, Brown shed some more light on what the two men talked about.
“I think Jon Gruden was always one of my big supporters,” Brown said when asked about the conversation he had with the coach. “I think he want to see me get back out there and kinda get out the washing machine. I think when I played with the Raiders, we always used to talk, he was like, ‘you was dynamic this day, but this day you was emotional…’ If there happened to be a second chance, I’d look forward to it.”
Brown Wants Raiders to Consider Bringing Him Back
If Antonio Brown would’ve stuck with the Raiders in 2019, they probably would’ve made the playoffs and he would’ve put up All-Pro numbers. Gruden loves Brown as a player and would’ve revolved the offense around him. It’s starting to sound like Brown wouldn’t mind reuniting with the silver and black. He said “hopefully” when asked if the Raiders were considering bringing him back.
First off, it’s very unlikely that general manager Mike Mayock signs off on bringing Brown back based on their history. Gruden gets the final say on these kinds of decisions, but he probably wouldn’t do that to Mayock for a player who clearly has issues. The Raiders still need wide receiver help and there are no better options than Brown in terms of talent. However, it’s clear the team can’t rely on his help. He’s one of the reasons the team didn’t draft a wide receiver early in the 2019 NFL Draft. If they did decide to give him one more shot, they’re not going to give him the benefit of the doubt this time.
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No XFL for Antonio Brown
If the NFL continues to blacklist Brown, there’s always the XFL. The new football league has taken on many former NFLers, but Brown has no interest in that.
“That’s lower-class football,” Brown said. “I don’t support XFL, man. If it ain’t the highest level, man, I’m not playing … I don’t want to go chill with 60 dudes every day and guys jealous ’cause AB getting all the touchdowns, AB getting all the girls they wishing about, you know?”
It makes sense why Brown wouldn’t be interested in that. There’s very little upside in making that type of move. His talent hasn’t diminished, just his ability to stay out of trouble. He’s got several months before the NFL season starts, which will be plenty of time for him to prove that he can keep his head straight. Even if he does, he’s likely done making the kind of money he was supposed to make with the Raiders.
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Antonio Brown Reveals Details of Conversation With Raiders’ Jon Gruden