Mr Brown: The Headache Without A Cure

Antonio Brown is one of, if not the best wide receiver in all of football. He has hauled in no less than 100 balls in each of the last 6 seasons. There is no doubt what he brings to the table as a football player. Between the white lines, there aren’t many better. However, that does not mean he doesn’t have his issues, the latest of which could end his Oakland Raiders career before it starts.

Antonio’s Offenses

Since Mr Brown arrived in Oakland by way of Pittsburgh, there has been no shortage of headlines. Early on in camp he missed time due to a foot injury. That injury was caused by frostbite from a cryogenic therapy chamber. A few weeks later, he was missing in action after not once, but twice losing a grievance over his helmet. Those were decisions that he hated, although most would say it was for his own safety. You would think after that he would be ready to go but that was not to case…

The Latest Strike

The latest strike against Mr Brown came by way of a fine for missing practices and team activities. The star wideout would later exacerbate the problem by posting his disagreement with said fine on Instagram. This did not sit well with new general manager Mike Mayock (more on him later). In fact, the two had to be separated after Brown threatened to “punch Mayock in the face.” So here we are with a suspension looming over the head of the pro bowl pass catcher as well as a possible outright release. All this on the cusp of the opening Sunday of the season. But who is to blame?

Who’s To Blame, And What To Do Now

The blame for the inevitable failure of the Raider’s season falls mostly on Brown. He’s a grown man, a league veteran, and should know how to conduct himself like a professional. However, Mayock is not completely in the clear. He is a novice who has no business in this position in the first place. Never in the history of the league has someone with so little front office experience been handed the keys to a franchise. He is a draft analyst, an adequate evaluator of talent, but not a GM. While 84 may be a headache, Mayock is not equipped to ease the pain of Raider Nation.

The Raiders knew what they were in for when they traded for Brown. They also knew they were not prepared in the front office to handle him. For what it’s worth, Coach Jon Gruden has done his best to be supportive on both sides. For once, the chaos is not his fault. But something better happen soon. The silver and black may have to part ways with Mr Brown to save the season of the NFL’s most dysfunctional franchise.