Oakland Raiders: Overreactions, legitimate concerns about Antonio Brown

Overreaction: Antonio Brown Doesn’t Want to Play for Raiders

There’s one thing we knew about Brown this year — he didn’t want to play for the Pittsburgh Steelers. In February, the 31-year old sent out a direct tweet indicating his intent to leave the AFC North club:

The Steelers traded Brown to the Raiders in exchange for a third- and fifth-round pick; Oakland also reworked his contract, which allowed him to net $30.1 million in guarantees. Mayock gave the wideout what he wanted — new money.

Once the trade became official, Brown immediately sought out his new quarterback Derek Carr — at his home. The four-time All-Pro had some spats with Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in the past and made sure to build a strong bond with the Raiders signal-caller. The two seemed inseparable throughout the spring and early summer.

Brown has officially been a Raider for about five months. He missed 11 of 12 practices. What could possibly go wrong with the team and player in such a short window with little exposure?

Brown’s beef isn’t with the Raiders, who provided a pathway out of Pittsburgh and paid him new money; his issue stands with the league. Unfortunately, in the unlikely event he retires, the Silver and Black would bear the brunt of his decision, leaving the offense without an explosive elite weapon.