Antonio Brown Fires off Instagram Message to Raiders Saying to Release Him, and Fans Lose It

The Antonio Brown era appears to be coming to an end in the Bay Area after only six months and [...]

By John Newby

The Antonio Brown era appears to be coming to an end in the Bay Area after only six months and zero dollars invested by the team. This is a surprise considering that Brown once told reporters that he brought accountability to the team and that he was fired up to perform for Raider Nation. However, the situation in Oakland has since changed.

In the months since being traded from Pittsburgh, Brown has missed multiple practices due to frostbitten feet, a helmet grievance filed against the NFL, and for an altercation with general manager Mike Mayock. Due to these circumstances, he has been fined roughly $300,000 and has seen the guaranteed money in his contract voided due to "conduct detrimental to the team." In response, Brown told the Raiders to release him in a Saturday Instagram post.

When news originally broke that Antonio Brown was on the verge of being suspended by the Oakland Raiders, it appeared that this relationship was unsalvageable. However, his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, made the rounds on TV networks to explain that all Brown wanted to do was play for the Raiders and coach Gruden. Rosenhaus said that they would get everything worked out an get the star wide receiver back with his team.

Once Brown apologized to his teammates, everything seemed fine. He was set to play on Monday instead of being suspended and would not be losing the guaranteed money in his contract. The situation changed, however, when he recorded a private phone call between himself and Coach Gruden, using it as the backdrop for a video on YouTube about being labeled as a villain.

With this storyline featuring so many twists and turns, it was expected that there would be some wild reactions. The internet did not disappoint.

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If the Raiders are releasing Antonio Brown, how does that affect the money that they invested in him? After all, the team signed Brown to a new, three-year deal that included $1 million in signing bonuses and $30 million guaranteed. Well, not at all. The signing bonus was actually broken up into two workout bonuses that required attendance at the majority of sessions. Brown missed out on that cash with his various absences, and he will also be missing out on the guaranteed money. His contract allows the team to void guarantees with the "conduct detrimental" aspect.

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While his issues with the Raiders are no joking matter, Brown's timeline since being traded from Pittsburgh is shockingly bizarre. The past few months have been filled with social media mistakes, injuries, grievances, apologies, and all manner of head-turning scenarios. This is truly a fascinating relationship to monitor despite the lack of coverage on HBO's Hard Knocks. Yes, it may also be confusing, which is why some good souls have arranged everything into a handy timeline.

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Over the past few months, the most common adjective used by Raiders fans and other figures on social media is "clown." No, this descriptor was not used to explain how Antonio Brown makes children smile. Instead, it's saying that his behavior has been utterly ridiculous in a very negative way. Obviously, there are two sides to every story, but even the version being posted on Brown's Instagram profile hasn't painted him in the best light.

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While there is plenty of joking taking place on social media about the latest Antonio Brown update, there is also a considerable number of fans simply wondering about his mental health. Is Brown ok? Is he suffering from CTE? NFL Network host Rich Eisen even asked Brown's agent this exact question during the leadup to Thursday night's season-opening game, but Drew Rosenhaus said that his client was perfectly healthy and in the right frame of mind. These latest actions do not support that statement.

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Antonio Brown may be focused on finding a team that wants to pay him for his services in 2019, but there is one individual who believes that he is simply being selfish – OJ Simpson. The Juice has been releasing reaction videos on Twitter to the latest sports stories, and the issues between Brown and the Raiders did not escape his attention. After all, Simpson selected Brown in his fantasy draft, along with the recently-retired Andrew Luck, and is very angry at the prospect of losing a star receiver for the season. He posted a video earlier in the week telling Brown to cash the check and play during the season, but the Raiders receiver did not listen. Now, Simpson will be even angrier.

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Fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers have made their negative opinions about Antonio Brown very well known, but how are the Raiders fans doing at this moment? Members of Raider Nation are known for being fiercely loyal to those that have donned the Silver and Black, except for Randy Moss, but Brown hasn't actually played a single snap for the team. Do the fans still like him, or has the relationship soured?

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This battle between the Oakland Raiders and Antonio Brown appears to be very one-sided. Throughout the issues with the frostbitten feet and the helmet grievances, coach Jon Gruden and general manager Mike Mayock made it very clear that they were supporting their embattled wide receiver. Unfortunately, Brown did not agree with their statements, especially as he was receiving fines due to violating his contract with the team. The receiver has posted multiple messages on social media making it appear that he is in the villain in the entire situation while the Raiders have remained quiet.

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If Antonio Brown is ultimately released by the Oakland Raiders, where will he go? The obvious answer is the New England Patriots given that head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady have shown the ability to get every single player in line and follow the "Patriot Way." However, even they may not want to deal with the constant posts on social media or the unpredictable disappearances. If no NFL team wants to take a chance on Brown, his only other option will be to see if Vince McMahon is interested.

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While the majority of the world is focusing on Antonio Brown and the saga that he is creating some members of Raider Nation want to give a shoutout to those that are busting their tails to bring this news at all hours of the day. Reporters like Paul Gutierrez of ESPN and MJ Acosta of NFL Network seemingly haven't had a decent night's sleep in the past week, and Friday night was no different. Between the video featuring Jon Gruden's phone call and the post about releasing him, Brown has created a 24-hour news cycle.

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When Antonio Brown posted on Instagram about how the "system is blind to talent like mine" and that the system had failed him for so many years, the immediate question became "how?" After all, Brown is the most famous wide receiver in the NFL, and he is viewed as arguably the best. This is a man that has been featured on the cover of Madden 19 and has earned $72.9 million throughout his career, per Over The Cap. The fans want to know how the system really failed him?

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