Antonio Brown was expected to finish out camp with the Oakland Raiders, but on Sunday, he was no where to be seen, and Mike Mayock was not happy.
When the Oakland Raiders acquired Antonio Brown from Pittsburgh, the organization knew it was also acquiring the baggage that comes along with AB. Well, the wide receiver is unhappy about the NFL’s new helmet regulations which, combined with the frostbite, has forced him to miss almost all of training camp.
Raiders general manager Mike Mayock clearly was not going to hold back as to the reason for AB’s absence, and the general manager’s statement of: “He’s all in or he’s all out,” almost feels like an ultimatum. The organization has supported its star wide receiver from the moment he signed the $30 million guaranteed contract ($50 million with bonuses), so the frustration is justifiable.
No one in the organization will be happy when you spend that kind of money on one player, and that player isn’t on the field. This is a team that has looked very good during the preseason, but only one can imagine what this offense will look like with Brown as the WR1.
From the video below, it appears as if Mayock’s patience is wearing thin with Brown. Here is the tweet from Vic Tafur of The Athletic.
Antonio Brown not here because he’s upset about helmet. Mike Mayock wants him back with team. He’s all in or he’s all out. #Raiders pic.twitter.com/3eQejXQYfq
— Vic Tafur (@VicTafur) August 18, 2019
While it’s still the preseason and three weeks away from the Monday night opener against the Broncos, this is an important time for Brown to build chemistry with his new quarterback, Derek Carr. At the end of the day all that matters are game days in the fall, but the tension in Oakland does seem to be building.
Of course, this is Antonio Brown, so there is also a good chance that he will be right back with the team tomorrow. This whole helmet saga has gone on long enough, and for Carr and Mayock, they just want their top wideout back with the team, and back for good.