Latest On Antonio Brown, Raiders

Update:

Josina Anderson reports that Raiders WR Antonio Brown issued “an emotional apology” at a team meeting Friday morning “with team captains standing with him.”

A Raiders source added that the response to Brown’s apology was that the team “treated him like a family member.”

Ian Rapoport reports that while Raiders HC Jon Gruden told people Brown was not in their plans for Monday’s game against the Broncos, there is now a “real chance” Brown isn’t suspended and plays in Week 1.

Josina Anderson of ESPN reports that Raiders WR Antonio Brown was the one who initiated the situation with GM Mike Mayock during Wednesday’s practice. 

A source confirmed to Anderson that Brown was unhappy with the fine levied by the team and he decided to confront Mayock at practice.

Anderson adds that Brown called Mayock a “cracker” and unleashed a barrage of “cuss words” during the altercation with Mayock. 

Mayock attempted to defuse the situation and walk away, according to Anderson.  

“[Mayock] was like, ‘I’m cool, I understand your displeasure,’” Anderson’s source said. “[Mayock] sort of just like … just walked away because he saw it escalate.”

While the situation escalated quickly, Anderson says it never got physical and multiple players separate Brown from the situation including linebacker Vontaze Burfict.

Brown reportedly red the fine letter before practice and felt it was the right time to confront Mayock. 

“When he saw [Mayock], he was like ‘I can address it,'” the team source tells Anderson.

On Wednesday, Adam Schefter reported that the Raiders plan to suspend Brown. However, the team has yet to make any official decision. 

Even so, the expectation is that Brown will miss Monday’s game. 

Schefter added there are those around the league who believe the Raiders could suspend Brown to try and void the remaining $30.125 million in guarantees they owe the receiver in order to release him. 

This is the latest chapter in a long-running saga of drama surrounding Brown this offseason. Brown lost multiple grievances this summer against the NFL petitioning to wear his old helmet that was deemed unsafe by the league and NFLPA.

He left the team multiple times during camp while sorting out that issue, along with a cryotherapy accident that resulted in frostbitten feet and kept him out of practice.

This isn’t the first run-in Brown has had with Mayock, either. The Raiders general manager issued an ultimatum on August 18 saying the team needed to know if Brown was “all in or all out.”

Brown, 31, is a former sixth-round pick of the Steelers back in 2010. He was in the third year of his five-year, $72.71 million contract when the Steelers traded him to the Raiders back in March. 

The Raiders later signed Brown to a new contract worth $50.125 million and includes $30.125 million guaranteed.  

In 2018, Brown appeared in 15 games for the Steelers and caught 104 passes for 1,297 yards and 15 touchdowns. Pro Football Focus has him rated as the No. 26 receiver out of 117 qualifying players.