Antonio Brown
Antonio Brown was in the headlines frequently this offseason. He was feuding with former teammate Ben Roethlisberger, the Steelers organization and even Steelers players past and present. From the interviews to the numerous tweets, Brown made his feelings about Pittsburgh known.
Brown wanted out of Pittsburgh, and the Steelers gave him his wish. He was traded to the Oakland Raiders for a couple of mid-round draft picks. He was also given a huge contract when he was traded, and that itself puts some pressure on the star wide receiver.
Now he is a part of a Raiders team that is looking to come back from two subpar seasons. Brown seems very excited to take on the task of reviving the Raiders, especially with a reinvigorated Derek Carr and some other nice additions to the silver and black. However, the second act of his career in Oakland will likely be compared to his first act in Pittsburgh, which adds pressure for the pass-catcher.
Brown’s first six seasons with the Steelers were Hall of Fame worthy. He averaged over 100 catches and over 1,500 yards in those six seasons, along with 11 touchdowns per year. He also made First Team All-Pro four out of those six seasons. The Raiders are expecting Brown to put up close or even better numbers than he did in Pittsburgh. This is a tall task for a receiver who will be coming into the season at 31 years old.
Receivers start to slowly decline once they reach their thirties and Father Time has been undefeated so far (unless you’re named Tom Brady). Brown has a legendary work ethic and makes sure his body is in peak performance, but the wear and tear the NFL puts on a body, especially a small framed one like Brown’s, might be a lot for the wideout to handle at that age.
The pressure is on Brown to prove to the Raiders that he was worth all the drama it took to get him. He will have to perform at a high(er) level with a lesser quarterback that he had in previous years. He will have to prove to everyone that he is worth that huge contract at age 30 going on 31. He is tasked with bringing back a Raiders offense that was ranked 28th in the league in scoring. There is a lot on “Mr. Big Chest’s” plate coming into this season. It’s on him to see if he can handle it and produce.