NFL Rumors: Russell Wilson Made A Pitch To Antonio Brown To Join The Seattle Seahawks
It appears that Antonio Brown almost moved up north after leaving the Oakland Raiders.
Not long after the All-Pro wide receiver allegedly engineered his exit from the Raiders with a series of outlandish outbursts that ended with a demand for his release, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson reportedly tried to get Antonio Brown to join him. As Yahoo Sports reported, Wilson reached out to Brown in an effort to recruit him to the Seahawks, though Brown ultimately ended up joining the New England Patriots.
The report cited Chris Mortensen of ESPN, who noted that Wilson and Brown had worked out together in Los Angeles during the offseason. The Seahawks had already landed edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney in a trade before the NFL season started, and aimed for Brown as well in a move to become a contender in the NFC West.
It’s not clear if the Seattle Seahawks were ever a real option for Antonio Brown. As The Inquisitr reported, several NFL insiders believe that Brown had planned all along to ask for his release from the Raiders so he could join the Patriots.
“People I’ve talked to in the league think was intentional,” Michael Lombardi of The Athletic tweeted. “He wanted out and go to NE. Not sure I’m buying it”
Despite the allegations, the NFL announced this week that there would be no investigation into whether the Patriots had coordinated with Brown before he was released by the Raiders.
Brown was cut loose by the Raiders after a series of outbursts, including an altercation with Raiders general manager Mike Mayock where Raiders teammates reportedly had to hold Brown back. The wide receiver also took a series of shots at the team on social media, including posting the letter Mayock had sent outlining more than $50,000 in fines Brown had received for missing team meetings in the offseason. Mortensen later reported that Brown worked with a social media consultant to see how he could expedite his release from the team.
In the move, the Raiders essentially forfeited the third- and fifth-round picks they had shipped to the Pittsburgh Steelers in order to land him. The Patriots signed him to a one-year, $15 million deal.
I just got a text from someone I trust in the league and they believe this was all coordinated. That at some point AB got word that Pats would sign him if he ever got released.
— Robert Littal BSO (@BSO) September 7, 2019
Antonio Brown is expected to play a significant role for the New England Patriots. On Tuesday, the team traded receiver Demaryius Thomas to the New York Jets for a sixth-round pick in a move seemingly designed to clear the way for Brown.
