Getty Former Raiders RT Trent Brown.
While the Las Vegas Raiders would’ve likely hoped to keep Trent Brown on the roster, they have to be relieved that he’s gone. He caused nothing but headaches throughout most of his time with the team. He was a good player when he was on the field but injuries frequently held him out.
The Raiders traded him to his former team the New England Patriots for pennies on the dollar. Brown hasn’t taken any direct shots at Las Vegas since the trade went through but he has hinted at some issues.
“I wasn’t really feeling the place of work, I guess you could say,” Brown said Wednesday, via Zack Cox of NESN.
Based on those comments, it’s clear that he never felt like he fit in with the Raiders. He then got pretty honest about his brief tenure with the team.
“Honestly, I just felt like ever since I left [the Patriots], nothing has gone right for me,” Brown said. “I’ve been experiencing little small nagging injuries. I’ve had to experience a lot of time without ball. And I wasn’t really feeling the place of work, I guess you could say.
“No hard feelings to them or anything, but I guess you could just say it wasn’t a good fit, and I felt like I wanted to be back somewhere where I — I’ve worn a lot of jerseys in my life, but I’ve never been more proud than when I put on the Patriots jersey.”
The Raiders would probably also agree he wasn’t a good fit for more reasons than one.
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Brown Loves Patriots
The only reason that Brown left the Patriots back in 2019 was because of money. The Raiders offered him a massive contract and there was no way New England was going to match it. Regardless, he’s happy to be back with the team now.
“When I became a Patriot — I’ve always loved football, but I think I began to appreciate what it takes,” Brown said Wednesday. “Like, the actual time and effort and sacrifices you have to make. And really, it was fun to me. Some people don’t like it (in New England), but I loved it, honestly. I just think it’s where I need to be. I’m happy. I’m happy with the organization. I was happiest when I was there. I’ve never had more fun playing football in my life. So I’m glad to be back.”
Brown Has Weight Incentive in Contract
It’s no secret that Brown is one of the largest men in the NFL. He often uses that size to his advantage but it’s also caused issues for him. Last season, it was reported by The Athletic that Brown’s weight had ballooned to over 400 pounds. Even though he has familiarity with the Patriots, they clearly have at least a little concern over his weight. According to ESPN’s Field Yates, Brown has a weight incentive in his contract. If he can stay under 380 pounds, he’ll get $500,000.
Trent Brown’s deal with the Patriots:
Base salary: $6.5M (fully guaranteed)
Per-game roster bonuses: Up to $2M
Weight incentives: Up to $500K
Playing-time incentives: $1M (90%)
Pro Bowl: $1M
A real shot at $11M and a chance to be back on the team he has most thrived with.
Perhaps money will be enough motivation to get his weight under control.
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