Raiders GM Mike Mayock calls out Antonio Brown, saying star WR needs to be ‘all in or all out.’
Frustrations with dramatic star WR reach boiling point
NAPA >> Raiders coach Jon Gruden said on the first day of training camp they expected a lot more drama from Antonio Brown after his arrival in a hot air balloon.
Turns out that after 24 days of drama, the Raiders have had their fill.
With Brown not present Sunday when the Raiders had a walk-through in the morning and a practice in the afternoon, general manager Mike Mayock made the following statement to the assembled media:
“You all know that A.B. is not here today. So here’s the bottom line. He’s upset about the helmet issue. We have supported that. We appreciate that. But at this point we’ve pretty much exhausted all avenues of relief. So from our perspective, it’s time for him to be all in or all out. So we’re hoping he’s back soon.
“We’ve got 89 guys busting their tails. We’re really excited about where this franchise is going. And we hope A.B. will be a big part of it, starting Week 1 against Denver. End of story. No questions. Just wanted you guys to know where we were.”
The Raiders were serious enough about it to post Mayock’s statement on Twitter.
It’s been a drama in two parts since Brown arrived. First, he arrived with frostbitten feet after a cryotherapy session gone bad in France two weeks before camp began. He left the team to seek second and third opinions on treatment when the story
broke he had filed a grievance with the NFL over use of a since-outlawed helmet.
Brown lost his grievance six days ago, returned to training camp Tuesday with agent Drew Rosenhaus and appeared to be moving forward.
“I’m extremely grateful to be here,” Brown said. “Been dealing with a lot of adversity. It’s on the up and up on
things, and I’m excited to be back and see my teammates and get in the groove of things here shortly.”
Brown got in some work with Derek Carr on the field before an exhibition win over Arizona on Thursday and afterward told reporters he felt he was “misunderstood” and was eager to get going.
Once the grievance was denied, Brown turned to social media in hopes of finding his model of helmet (Schutt Air Advantage) that was less than 10 years old. Brown’s helmet was 12 years old, which went against current guidelines as set by the National Operating Committee for Standards in Athletic Equipment. NOCSAE is the body that certifies gear by virtue of the collective bargaining agreement between the NFL and the NFL Player’s Association.
According to Profootballtalk.com, the league has since determined that no Schutt helmet would pass muster, which led to a tweet with inappropriate content where Brown vented his anger. When the Raiders held their last full practice of training camp Sunday, Brown was not present.
The Raiders remained quiet about Brown’s status until Gruden voiced his support following the Arizona game, and then again when he met the media Tuesday. Gruden said both he and Mayock have been kept abreast of Brown’s issues throughout training camp. The club sent Brown several different helmet models in hopes of finding one to his liking.
Upon being traded to the Raiders from the Pittsburgh Steelers for thirdand fifth-round draft choices, Brown received a three-year contract extension that guaranteed him more than $30 million and has a maximum value of more than $50 million. The bonus payout on the extension was $1 million, with salaries for this year and 2020 guaranteed totaling $30.125 million. Brown has made more than $69 million in salary and bonuses throughout the course of his career.
Brown had worn out his welcome in Pittsburgh with a number of issues, including leaving the team and missing the regularseason finale with the playoffs on the line.
Gruden wanted Brown not only for his production on the field, where his last six years have rivaled the best of Jerry Rice, but to set a torrid pace for the rest of the squad in practice. Instead the Raiders have yet to get a full practice from Brown, whose feet are still not recovered enough from frostbite to practice full-go.
All of Gruden’s plans of building an offense around Brown and quarterback Derek Carr have been put on hold as he missed valuable practice and meeting time while away from the Napa Valley Marriott.
If Brown does not return soon, the Raiders could suspend him without pay for conduct detrimental to the team. They could also seek to invalidate his contract based on Brown being a non-participant.
Should the Brown and Raiders part ways, it would be the second straight season where an elite talent expected to be a key performer was off the roster before the opener. Last season, they traded defensive end Khalil Mack to the Chicago Bears after he sat out the offseason and training camp over a contract impasse.
In Mack’s case, the Raiders received a pair of firstround draft picks in return. Given that Brown participated in the offseason for the Raiders, the third- and fifth-round picks used to acquire him would still belong to the Steelers.
The Raiders face the Green Bay Packers on Thursday in Winnipeg in their third exhibition game, a game in which most frontline players are expected to sit it out.