With ESPN’s Adam Schefter and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport continuing to light up Twitter with a fireworks show of epic proportions concerning breaking news with Oakland Raiders star wide receiver Antonio Brown, we might finally have some CLOSURE on Brown’s future with the team.
In true 2019 form, Brown has now officially unfollowed the Raiders account on Instagram as well as Derek Carr. What a world!
Sports stars unfollowing franchises and teammates to make a statement or signal impending doom is no new thing. Brown unfollowed the Steelers on Twitter before they traded him earlier this year. Kyrie Irving once infamously unfollowed LeBron James before bolting Cleveland, Russell Westbrook put a stamp on the evisceration of the Oklahoma City Thunder by unfollowing Paul George on Instagram before both their trades were finalized, and DeMarcus Cousins unfollowed the Pelicans in 2018 before he ever signed with the Warriors.
A day after he blew up social media with an IG story that featured a picture of an official team notice signed by Raiders general manager Mike Mayock that was notifying Brown of over $50,000 worth of fines he was going to be levied for missing team functions, Mayock reportedly approached Brown in a heated confrontation that nearly led to the two coming to blows.
Mayock was angry that Brown exposed the letter to an IG following of over 3.4 million people, which added to an already mounting number of PR firestorms that Brown was continuing to dump gasoline on.
Schefter and Rapoport have been reporting throughout the day on Thursday that the team could potentially suspend the 31-year-old four-time All Pro for ‘conduct detrimental to the team’, which would then void over $30 million in guaranteed money for Brown – Which would then obviously sever ties between the two for good.
Both Mayock and Gruden made statements to the media on Thursday saying Brown was not at practice and an ‘announcement’ was going to be made later.
Poor Derek Carr didn't even do anything and still got dumped!