Antonio Brown has reportedly been traded for a second time this week, and this time it seems likely to actually stick. After a failed attempt to trade the disgruntled wideout to the Buffalo Bills, Brown was finally dealt in earnest right after the clock hit midnight and Saturday turned to Sunday.
Brown, the All-Pro Steelers wideout who had a falling out with the franchise to end the 2018-19 season and subsequently requested a trade, was finally moved to the Oakland Raiders. Brown hinted at a move on his social media accounts, posting an image of himself in a Raiders jersey and a picture with Oakland signal caller Derek Carr.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bu0OKfRB1Vc/
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bu0OT3QhGb2/
Eventually, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk brought word of the move, including a major salary bump from his new squad.
Antonio Brown is indeed bound for the Raiders.
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) March 10, 2019
Per source, Antonio Brown will get a new deal as part of his trade to Oakland.
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) March 10, 2019
Per source, Antonio Brown's three-year haul will increase from $38.925 million to $50.125 million, per source. No new years will be added.
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) March 10, 2019
The news was confirmed by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, who also reported the haul Pittsburgh will receiver for Brown.
There it is. Antonio Brown has been traded to the #Raiders, source confirms. https://t.co/tR0SkfrOYt
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 10, 2019
The Antonio Brown saga is finally nearing a close. Sources say the #Steelers are dealing AB to the #Raiders in exchange for a third round pick and a fifth round pick in this 2019 draft. Brown will also get a reworked contract that makes him the NFL’s highest paid WR.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 10, 2019
Word broke late Thursday night that the Steelers and Bills were close on a deal to move the wide receiver to Buffalo, a transaction which Brown himself soon called “fake news” in an Instagram comment section. By Friday morning, that deal was officially dead as multiple reports indicated that Brown said he didn’t want to go to Buffalo and nixed the deal himself.
Now, Brown seems to be content with where he’s headed, and while his trade to the Bills taught everyone that these sorts of things aren’t done until it’s all wrapped up, it looks like Oakland has pulled off a deal for perhaps the best wide receiver in the game.
