The Antonio Brown era in Oakland hasn’t exactly gotten off on the right foot. The All-Pro wide receiver wasn’t at 100 percent and had to sit out following a trip in a cryotherapy machine gone awry, then he had his highly-publicized tiff with the NFL regarding his preferred choice in helmet. Once those all got past him, Brown returned to the team, and then, more trouble began.
Brown received a fine from the team for his time dealing with all the helmet weirdness. The Raiders sent him a letter, signed by general manager Mike Mayock, which Brown posted onto his Instagram Story to voice his displeasure. Brown and Mayock got into it at practice on Thursday, and in the aftermath, questions popped up about his future with the team.
One day later and details are popping up about both what happened and the fallout from all the craziness. According to Josina Anderson of ESPN, Brown went over to Mayock.
A Raiders source confirmed Brown was unhappy with the fine levied by the team and, seeing Mayock watching practice, walked over and initiated an exchange with the GM. The Raiders source confirmed information from another league source who said Brown called Mayock a “cracker” and unleashed a barrage of “cuss words” during the altercation.
While things weren’t particularly tense at first — Mayock, per Anderson, “tried to keep his cool and defuse the situation” when Brown first approached him — things escalated quickly. Much has been written about what happened after, but following the spat, Brown’s future with the Raiders got called into question. However, more recent reports indicate that a nuclear option might not be in the cards. Anderson reported that Brown got up in front of the team at a meeting on Friday and apologized, which apparently sat well with the leaders in the Raider locker room.
Source: #Raiders WR Antonio Brown just issued “an emotional apology” at a team meeting this morning, just now, “with team captains standing with him.”
— JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) September 6, 2019
Now, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, there’s a chance that Brown doesn’t just stick with the team, but the suspension that seemed inevitable on Thursday may not happen. Oakland plays on Monday night, hosting the Denver Broncos, and it’s possible that Brown takes the field with his teammates.
https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1170011917500502016
This story has taken a whole lot of twists and turns over the last day or so, and perhaps there’s another one or two in the cards over the weekend. But for now, perhaps it’s possible that this somehow all ends up being a water under the bridge.
