After finalizing a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers, the then-Oakland Raiders could have had Antonio Brown for the 2019 season. However, the club granted his request for a release two days before the regular season started. How that situation went down had Richie Incognito and Maxx Crosby speculating what might have been if Brown suited up for the Raiders. The Pro Bowler defensive end even called Brown the greatest ‘what if’ of his career.
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But now that Incognito and Brown are both retired, the former NFL offensive lineman shared with Crosby and his fellow co-hosts on ‘The Rush’ that he ensures getting a daily dose of Brown’s social media activity.
“He’s hilarious now on Twitter. I do wake up every day, and I’m like, ‘Alright, what’s he saying?’”
Incognito’s comments about Antonio Brown’s Twitter account got affirmative reactions, with Crosby saying, “His Twitter is unbelievable and it doesn’t stop.” Meanwhile, a co-host and Crosby’s former teammate at Eastern Michigan quipped that Brown “doesn’t lie half the time” he speaks his mind; he’s basically saying what everyone is thinking.
Brown comments on Twitter about hot topics, latest trends, and sporting news. His posts range from the hilarious to thoughts with adult-themed innuendos. The former wideout has been more active on social media after officially retiring from the NFL and ending his turbulent stint as owner of the National Arena League’s Albany Empire.
Crosby and Incognito Ponders ‘What Might Have Been’ Playing With AB
Crosby, his co-hosts, and Incognito agreed that there was a point when Brown was “unguardable,” giving the Steelers a massive advantage. At the height of his career, the wideout made four consecutive All-Pro selections from 2014 to 2017. In those years, he led the league twice in receptions and twice in receiving yards. He also finished with over 1,000 receiving yards in seven of the eight seasons from 2011 to 2018.
AB had the speed nobody could outpace and the skill a few could overcome. As Crosby recalled, he had a front-row seat to the fantastic things Brown did during their practices in his rookie season.
“He would run a hundred yards, snag it on the corner of his helmet, run through the back of the end zone, bring the ball back, do the same thing back to back to back. It was unbelievable.”
Incognito added that the Raiders would have had an explosive offense with Brown, Darren Waller, Hunter Renfrow, and running back Josh Jacobs. He further suggested that having Jon Gruden strategize for that offense would have brought the team to the top.
Unfortunately, the dream wasn’t meant to be, as the Raiders granted Antonio Brown’s request for a release after the team canceled the guaranteed money remaining in the contract (four years, $68 million) he signed with the Steelers.
But before the split, there were some controversies during Brown’s brief stint with the Raiders. He had a verbal altercation with then-Raiders general manager Mike Mayock after having some unexcused absences. Brown apologized for his actions, but it ultimately became the beginning of the end for him in Oakland.
Without Brown on the roster, the Raiders finished the 2019 season at 7-9, their final season in the Bay Area, before transferring to Las Vegas.
