Seven months. That is how long it took Antonio Brown to bully his way out of town. The Oakland Raiders had such grand plans. They felt they were getting the best wide receiver in football. Sure he's 31-years old and sure he somehow burnt every bridge on his way out of town with the Pittsburgh Steelers. A team with one of the most player-friendly coaches in existence in Mike Tomlin. Did that deter Jon Gruden? Not a chance.
Then it all began. First it was the cryotherapy incident that saw him get frostbite on his feet. Then it was a constant battle with the NFL over letting him wear his old helmet, a model that had been outlawed due to no longer being considered safe. When he lost that battle, missing practices along the way, Raiders GM Mike Mayock called him out in public, then fined him for missing time. How did Brown respond? By nearly getting into a fistfight with the man and calling him a "cracker."
He posted letters and videos on Instagram about being fined. At last, after months of torture, the Raiders couldn't take it anymore. They voided $30 million of guaranteed money in his contract over a suspension and then decided to release him outright. A guy they gave up 3rd and 5th round picks to get in the first place. One has to feel for Raiders fans, who have endured arguably one of the worst back-to-back offseasons in recent memory.
Antonio Brown debacle makes Oakland long for Khalil Mack
It's rather fitting that as the Brown news struck, many Raider fans took to social media in utter bewilderment. Not just on how things fell apart so fast, but on how their team somehow convinced themselves that the maneuvers to get Brown in the first place was a better alternative to simply paying Khalil Mack the money he had rightfully earned. Some of the reactions are hard not to chuckle at.
Chicago would certainly love for Gruden to stick around. They've already gotten huge returns from his personnel decisions. What's to stop them from striking again in the future? Mack remains one of the most dominant defenders in football and probably will for the next few years at least. He likely has a Hall of Fame jacket waiting for him in Canton. The Raiders gave that up for a running back and a future 1st round pick.
The money went to an aging headcase of a wide receiver who was never about the team and only about himself.
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