At some point, the Raiders will have had enough of Antonio Brown. Could that time be now?
Not long after a report that the Raiders had fined the star receiver, and he was not happy about it, Brown posted a video on YouTube titled “This is my life. Ain’t no more games.” It appears to include a conversation with Raiders coach Jon Gruden.
He also posted an explanation, writing, “With all these false narratives antagonizing me, it’s time for me to control my own narrative. Show the world I’m not the bad guy. Show the world you can free yourself from the lies and become your own person. I am not just AB the football player. I am Antonio Brown, the person, who paved a way from himself to be in charge of his own life. Watch for yourself. Link in bio. Free me!”
The 1:57 video includes what appears to be a phone conversation between Brown and Gruden.
“What’s up coach?” Brown answers the phone.
“What the hell’s going on, man?” Gruden asks.
“Just a villain all over the news, man,” Brown answers.
“You’re not a villain,” Gruden said. “You’re just. . .You’re the most misunderstood f—ing human being in my entire life I’ve ever met. I mean I brought you here because you’re my favorite guy. I’ve never seen a guy work harder. And I don’t know where you are in your life right now off the field. All I know is you got a lot of things going. There’s a lot of people that have an opinion about you, and whether it be good or bad, you’re in the spotlight all the time.
“Let me ask you this: Do you want to be a Raider or not?”
Brown answers, “Man, I’ve been trying to be a Raider since Day One. I’ve been f—ing working my ass off harder than anyone. I don’t know why it’s a question of me being a Raider. It’s like do you guys want me to be a Raider?”
Gruden follows with, “Please stop this s— and just play football. How hard is that? You’re a great football player. Just play football.”
The video ends with Brown saying, “I’m more than just a football player, man. I’m a real person. It ain’t about the football. I know I can do that. I show you guys that on the daily. This is my life. Ain’t no more games.”
It is unclear when the conversation took place or if Gruden knew he was being recorded. The video appears professionally produced.
It leaves only one question: What happens now?