The Oakland Raiders hope that Antonio Brown leaves his drama in the parking lot once the offseason program kicks off and they gear up for the 2019 season. Former Raiders coach Jack Del Rio thinks that’s unlikely.
In an interview with NFL.com’s Brooke Cersosimo, Del Rio said Brown, “has clearly shown that he’s going to be a pain in the ass.”
Del Rio did say he’d definitely work with him and that he loves his talent. But he also said, “If he continues doing the things he’s been doing, just like he upset the Steelers, he’s going to upset the next team he’s on.”
Del Rio also issued a caution to Brown saying his antics will only be tolerated “until his skills begin to deteriorate. That’s when people will get tired of him.”
When Oakland signed Brown, we argued that his proclivity for creating drama and making everything about him had the potential to quickly fester in Oakland. Jon Gruden has a history of clashing with outspoken wide receivers (like Keyshawn Johnson). So it’s going to be interesting to see if things spiral out of control, or if Brown can keep himself from going down that road again.
Meanwhile, his old Steelers teammates are doing what they can to put an end to the drama that remains, despite Brown’s departure earlier this year.