After weeks of speculation that included tweets and an HBO appearance, Antonio Brown is headed to Oakland. This move ends a nine-season Pittsburgh tenure that included six straight Pro Bowl selections. Brown went out strong with a 104-catch, 1,297-yard season, earning 185 yards and two touchdowns in his last game in Week 16 against the Saints.
Brown made the announcement on Instagram with a picture of himself in a Raiders outfit, captioned #RaiderNation.
According to reports, the former Steeler will receive a new deal along with his trade to the Raiders. The deal will reportedly make the football star the highest paid wide receiver in the league.
Ian Rapoport also reports that the Steelers will be sending Brown over to Oakland for a third round pick and a fifth round pick in this 2019 draft.
Since he made his trade request public in February, Brown has been fairly open about his issues with the AFC franchise. He notably called out Steelers' longtime quarterback Ben Roethlisberger for having an "owner mentality." Brown also appeared on LeBron James' The Shop and defended himself from the idea that his demands made him a distraction.
No conflict just a matter of respect! Mutual respect! He has a owner mentality like he can call out anybody including coaches. Players know but they can’t say anything about it otherwise they meal ticket gone. It’s a dirty game within a game. #truth https://t.co/MsSyBVd3Ny
"That's the narrative they try to create once you doing your own thing," Brown said. "'Yo, this guy a distraction. He this type of guy.' All I've ever been was a guy who came from Central Michigan, sixth round who worked his ass off."
