Oakland Raiders: Was It the Right Call for Antonio Brown to Play Week 1?

After a suspension loomed for Antonio Brown, he’s suiting up Week 1 for the Oakland Raiders. Amidst the fallout, is it the right call?

It has been an eventful offseason and training camp for the Oakland Raiders and Antonio Brown. After Brown and General Manager Mike Mayock came to an altercation on Thursday, it seemed like the drama would finally see its end.

After standing by him with the foot issues, the helmet saga, and the missed practices, the Raiders finally reached the tipping point. A suspension loomed after Brown came at Mayock on Thursday, regarding the fines handled by the team and the ensuing aftermath of posting them on social media.

Oakland had enough, and many believed were prepared not only to suspend him but look to void the 30 million guaranteed of his newly signed contract.

Now, according to Josina Anderson of ESPN, Antonio Brown issued an emotional apology at a Raiders team meeting Friday morning, with team captains by his side. The impact of the apology? After Jon Gruden gave the notion that the team was prepared to play without him against the Denver Broncos on Monday night, Antonio Brown will now play on Monday Night.

The question is, after all the drama, all the headaches and off-the-field distractions, was it the right call for Antonio Brown to suit up Monday night?

Nobody is questioning Brown’s talent on the field, or even his work ethic off it. Antonio Brown is arguably the best receiver in the NFL, that is why Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock went and brought him to Oakland, dishing out 30 million in guaranteed money as a sign of belief in him. He makes the Raiders better on offense, they need him to win games, and because of that, the Raiders have stood beside him throughout it all.

But can the same be said on the other side? While the team had his back amidst the foot issues and the helmet noise, Brown was still a no-show at practice. The team had his back, and this is how they’re repaid? Lashing out at Mayock was just the icing on the cake.

Nobody wants to see the best player shown the door before Week 1, it’s an eerily similar replay of the events of a year ago. But there’s more at stake than just a Week 1 victory, it’s the Raiders reputation as an organization. Mayock, Gruden, and the entire team need to be on the same page. They’re not just trying to win games, they’re trying to regain respect as a franchise.

In a way, the decision feels like a double-edged sword for the Raiders in the short-term. Many will see them as too desperate to win, that Mayock and the organization backed down on this one. Hard to argue with that belief. Playing Week 1 was not the best call, but the only way to move now is to move forward.

Everyone needs to be held accountable, from the front office to the coaching staff to the players. It would have been better for Brown to take a Week 1 suspension, admit his fault, then put all of this behind and look towards the rest of the season with the right mindset: winning games and turning this franchise in the right direction.

Nonetheless, let’s hope the noise and distractions finally end here and now.