NFL Media, Fans React to Oakland Raiders Not Suspending WR Antonio Brown

It’s official. The Oakland Raiders are not suspending wide receiver Antonio Brown and he will play on Monday night when the team takes on the Oakland Raiders. On Thursday it was reported by ESPN the Raiders were planning to suspended Brown after getting into an altercation with general manager Mike Mayock.

“Antonio is back today,” Raiders head coach Jon Gruden said Friday. “We’re really excited about that. Ready to move on. He’s obviously had a lot of time to think about things. We’re happy to have him back and we know Raider Nation is excited about that, too.”

This announcement comes on the heels of Josina Anderson of ESPN reporting the details of the Brown-Mayock fight.

“A Raiders source confirmed Brown was unhappy with the fine levied by the team and, seeing Mayock watching practice, walked over and initiated an exchange with the GM,” Anderson wrote. “The Raiders source confirmed information from another league source who said Brown called Mayock a ‘cracker’ and unleashed a barrage of ‘cuss words’ during the altercation.”

Scroll down to see the top reactions of the news from NFL media and fans.

Breakdown of Events

Adam Schefter of ESPN was the first to report the Raiders planning to suspend Brown and he revealed what has happened the last two days. The NFL insider said, “On Thursday morning, the Raiders called Antonio Brown and told him not to come to work. On Friday, they said he would play in Monday Night’s opener vs. the Denver Broncos. Knock on wood if anyone knows what’s next.”

Humility Pays

Josina Anderson of ESPN believes the reason Brown is playing on Monday night is the fact he apologized for his actions. She said, “There you go…and just like that it all changes in 24 hours. A little dose of humility and an apology going a long way.”

It does and it looks like everyone has his back. Hopefully, there’s not another incident for the rest of his time in Oakland.

From a Steelers Fan

With Brown having a long history with the Steelers, this fan had to chime in. Dr. Truth said, “Steeler fan here. I have so much respect for The Oakland Raiders history, great games and history between both teams. Antonio Brown is nothing but a troubled soul and will destroy the atmosphere on and off the field. He is a great talent and will score, but at what cost. Good luck.”

Shot at Gruden

This fan wanted to take a shot at Gruden as he’s basically calling him a clown. There has been speculation that Gruden is running the show instead of Mayock. And based on recent interviews, it’s clear Guden is a big fan of Brown. But what Gruden is a bigger fan of is winning and he will do everything he can to get Brown on the field on Monday night.

Al Davis

And that leads to the next comment as the fan shows a gif of the late owner Al Davis saying “Just win baby.” Davis was known for bringing in interesting groups players and Brown is no different. However, those teams in the past won Super Bowls while the Raiders are looking to get back to their winning ways as they have only recorded one winning season since 2003.

Mayock Quits

The fan is calling it now and says Mayock will not be the Raiders GM for long. He said, “Mayock will quit before it’s all said and done.” That wouldn’t be a surprise because odds are he did not sign up for Brown verbally attacking him. The good news is if Mayock does quit, he can go back to the NFL Network and he call him out there.

Calling Out Raiders

This fan believes the entire franchise has a ton of issues. He said, “What a sorry-a** organization. Should be embarrassed from top to bottom. Can’t wait till they pay him and it blows up in their face. AGAIN!!!!!”

The hope is Brown doesn’t do anything drastic for the rest of his time with the Raiders, but knowing how Brown is, something could happen in the near future. 

Not a Great Message

This fan is not on board with Brown playing on Monday night because it doesn’t send the right message, the fan said. “Wow! What a horrible message to send out! I was so excited when AB came to the team and he has shown nothing but disrespect. Now you’ve gave him a pass!? Obviously it’s time to leave Oakland!”

Getting Away With It

With Brown being able to play on against the Broncos, this fan says it’s just another example of a top player doing whatever he wants. The fan said, “Just one more example of a player getting away with anything they want and still getting to play based on talent and not character. In any other field threats of violence would not only because for termination, but also for charges to be brought up…”

Lesson Learned

This fan points out the most valuable lesson learned when it comes to Brown and his actions. The Twitter user said, “The lesson here is AB can do whatever he wants. And Mike Mayock is a puppet with no authority or power. AB and Gruden doing him like a b****.”