Last season was a fun and exciting one for the Las Vegas Raiders, although it started off with a bunch of drama thanks to Antonio Brown.
The Raiders acquired Brown in a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers last offseason, but the former All-Pro receiver never seemed fully committed to the Silver and Black. Whether it was frostbitten feet, a helmet that did not fit quite right or a general manager he disagreed with, Brown found ways to cause trouble during his first training camp with the team.
Eventually, all of the drama added up and the Raiders granted Brown his release after he asked for it on social media before the start of the season. From there, Brown joined the New England Patriots but was also quickly cut after one week due to sexual assault allegations to caused the league to open an investigation.
After sitting out the whole 2019 season other than one game in New England, saying he was done with the NFL and the Raiders, it seems that Brown has changed his mind on both notions. According to Scott Blair of NBC Sports, Brown recently spoke with head coach Jon Gruden and is not ruling out a return to the Raiders:
“I just talked to Jon Gruden today, might I say,” Brown told Complex’s Load Management podcast. “I don’t know how it’s going to go, but who knows?”
It seems unlikely that the Raiders would be willing to take a second chance on Brown. Although they were in desperate need of a No. 1 wide receiver all season, Darren Waller and Hunter Renfrow did a solid job in picking up the slack and the team’s young locker room doesn’t need any more distractions as they embark on a new journey at Allegiant Stadium.
Brown’s rumored Raider return may only be the team’s second-biggest rumor this offseason. Of course, the big name tied to Las Vegas the past few weeks has been Tom Brady. The six-time Super Bowl winner and Brown briefly played together in New England, where Brown recorded 56 yards and one touchdown in his only game played.
Brown stated that he talked with Brady about the Raiders and followed up by saying he would like to join the former MVP quarterback wherever he lands this offseason:
“I couldn’t tell him, just call coach Gruden,” Brown said when asked what he would tell Brady about the Raiders. “Brady’s OG, man. He don’t need it. I know he’s going to do what’s right for him and his family. Wherever Tom go, I think I want to go — 2020 Tom/AB. Twenty touchdowns, maybe 25.”
While there is no doubt that duo could do some serious damage, who knows if any team will be willing to bite on Brown. He has left a serious wake with every team he has been on and the Raiders hopefully know better than to try it again.
Additionally, the league has not concluded its investigation yet so it is unknown how long he will be suspended, if at all, when he returns to the league.
