Antonio Brown was arguably one of the top wide receivers in the NFL during the 2010s. However, the latter part of that decade was marked by controversy.
Following the 2018 season, Brown was involved in several off-field incidents, including a tumultuous and brief stint with the then-Oakland Raiders in 2019.
Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs, who was Brown’s teammate during that short period, recently shared his perspective on the experience during an appearance on “The Pivot Podcast.”
Josh Jacobs Reveals Wild Details of Being Teammates With Antonio Browns
Brown’s trade to the Oakland Raiders in March 2019 was the talk of the NFL as the wide receiver had made it clear he wouldn’t return to the Pittsburgh Steelers following the end of the 2018 season.
The combination of Antonio Brown’s desire to leave and his hefty contract made it extremely difficult for the Steelers to find a trade partner, despite his status as one of the league’s most productive receivers.
Complicating matters further was Brown’s unwillingness to accept certain destinations. A trade was initially agreed upon with the Buffalo Bills, but Brown reportedly refused to play there.
Eventually, a deal with the Oakland Raiders was announced on March 10. While it couldn’t be finalized until the start of the 2019 NFL league year, the Raiders had their man. In what seemed like a bargain at the time, they sent third- and fifth-round picks to Pittsburgh in exchange for Brown.
The team believed it had acquired a game-changing weapon for quarterback Derek Carr—one that could help them contend in the AFC West.
That’s when things got weird.
After a bizarre incident with frostbitten feet, Brown became a ghost. His presence, or lack of, at training sessions became a constant distraction to the Raiders organization. Brown’s behavior quickly became increasingly erratic, marked by a bizarre helmet dispute and both verbal and physical altercations with general manager Mike Mayock.
His decision to air grievances on social media—especially regarding fines—only escalated an already volatile situation.
The relationship between Brown and the Raiders unraveled before it truly began. Although head coach Jon Gruden publicly stated he expected Brown to play in Week 1, the wide receiver instead demanded his release. The Raiders reportedly explored trade options but, finding no takers, ultimately cut ties and released him from his contract.
When Brown was released, he made a video and was overjoyed about the news.
“They freed me grandma!” Brown said into the phone on the video. “God is the greatest.”
One of the people standing with Brown during that moment was Jacobs, who recalled during an appearance on “The Pivot Podcast” being surprised by the amount of traction the video gained.
“When he made that video, the free me video, I was sitting right next to him. So, I didn’t know that cause he had like a camera crew, and when I saw it on Instagram later, I said no way this blew up, and they really let him go. I’m like, wow, what’s going on?”
TRENDING: Josh Jacobs talks about the greatness of Antonio Brown.
“He'd be in meetings on his phone & he ain't even hiding that he's on his phone either”
“The only person to go out there on a field and never mess up a play. The hardest worker ever”
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball)
One factor in Brown’s broken relationship with the Raiders was his use of a mobile phone during team meetings. However, Jacobs defended Brown by claiming that the receiver never hid that and was the hardest worker on the team.
“He would one of the guys, man he’d be in meetings, he on his phone, and he ain’t even hiding that he on his phone. He like on his phone but then be the only person go out there and never mess a play. And the hardest worker. The only person I can compare him to that work as hard as him is Maxx Crosby. I’ve never seen someone work as hard as AB on the field,” Jacobs concluded.
Brown didn’t remain a free agent for much time and was signed by the New England Patriots on the same day. However, he only appeared in one game and was cut in the same month over reports of sexual misconduct.
Brown spent his final two seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and earned his first Super Bowl ring with them in 2021.
He finished his career with 928 receptions for 12,291 yards and 83 touchdowns, earning seven Pro Bowl, and four first-team selections. He was also named in the NFL’s 2010s All-Decade Team.
