Antonio Brown drama comes to a close
Brown motions to fans after a game. Brown is now signed to the Raiders for the 2019 season.
March 11, 2019
The Antonio Brown drama came to a relatively anticlimactic end early Sunday, as the Pittsburgh Steelers finally traded the disgruntled wide receiver to the Oakland Raiders for third- and a fifth-round draft pick.
The Steelers have struggled for months to come to a trade agreement worth Brown’s talent, but his reputation as a distraction off the field has scared teams away from the prospect of trading away a star player or high draft pick for him.
Brown put the Steelers in a lose-lose situation by demanding a trade and behaving badly off the field, guaranteeing the Steelers would not get nearly as much as what he’s worth as a player. Brown’s head has grown bigger than his love for the game of football, which became obvious after he threatened to quit football if teams did not play by his rules.
The Raiders decided to throw the Steelers two of their seemingly endless supply of draft picks for the All-Pro. They also gave Brown what he cared about most: a contract with $30 million guaranteed regardless of how he plays.
After a 4-12 season last year and trading away Amari Cooper, the Raiders bit the bullet and took on the dangerous roller coaster who wears number 84.
It is apparent that Raiders Head Coach Jon Gruden is trying to return quarterback Derek Carr to his Pro Bowl form with a top receiver, but Brown’s cons might outweigh the pros.
The drama in the Steelers’ locker room mainly because of Brown has held the Steelers back for years, hurting great teams that had potential to win Super Bowls.
Brown creates unwanted attention with an ego that never helps any team. His ego brings the complaints about coaches and teammates. The complaints bring the attention.
At 30 years of age, Brown has still been producing astronomical numbers, but those numbers will steadily drop over the years, which will make him simply a problem.
The Raiders took a risk by giving Brown as much money as they did, but if Brown decides to behave, then the trade will have been a steal.
Overall, the Steelers succeeded in getting rid of a player who has been a massive headache for the organization, but they failed to get any real value in return for him.