Antonio Brown is ready to move forward and prepare for Week 1 following an offseason filled with turmoil — or so he says.
Brown delivered a brief statement in front of the media before the Oakland Raiders held practice on Friday, and he confirmed that he has apologized to his teammates and the organization. The star receiver also said there has been “enough talk” and he is excited to be with the team.
#Raiders WR Antonio Brown “I’m excited to be out here with my team. I apologized to my teammates. Enough talk.” @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/N6otdQx9FT
— MJ Acosta (@MJAcostaTV) September 6, 2019
Like Raiders coach Jon Gruden earlier in the day, Brown did not take any questions from reporters. He did later speak with ESPN’s Dianna Russini, though, and he denied calling Mike Mayock a “cracker” or having a scuffle with the GM at practice on Wednesday.
I asked him how he’s feeling he said he’s better. I asked him if he’s happy? He said yeah, better. As for what happened on the field with Raiders GM Mike Mayock…
— Dianna (@diannaESPN) September 6, 2019
Antonio Brown told me there was never a scuffle at practice. He said he did not use the word “cracker” and would never use that word…Everything has been blown out of proportion”
“I spoke with Mike Mayock 1-on-1, man-to-man.”
#Raiders— Dianna (@diannaESPN) September 6, 2019
Numerous reports on Thursday indicated Brown would be suspended by the Raiders following his confrontation with Mayock during practice on Wednesday. The outburst came after he publicly ripped the Raiders on Instagram for fining him over missed practice time during training camp. However, Brown delivered a heartfelt apology to the team on Friday morning, and it was apparently accepted.
It makes sense that both sides would be motivated to put all of the offseason turmoil behind them, as the Raiders know their offense needs Brown and there was talk that Brown could have been at risk of having the guarantees in his contract voided. The question is whether or not Brown can stop creating distractions, which is something he has consistently done for several weeks now.
