Raiders wide receiver Antonio Brown frequently made headlines this offseason for seemingly all the wrong reasons.
Brown was sidelined for part of training camp with a self-inflicted foot injury and then he was absent from camp while trying to settle a helmet dispute with the NFL. This week, he posted a picture on social media of a fine for skipping a walkthrough practice and voiced his displeasure with the organization.
Despite all of the off-field drama, though, Brown is still a talented receiver and the Broncos will have their hands full when they face Oakland on Sept. 9.
“He’s really quick and really fast,” coach Vic Fangio said Wednesday. “He gets to his high speed very fast — quicker than most. He’s very elusive, he’s a good runner after the catch and he’s a very competitive guy. There’s nothing easy about defending him.”
Brown, 31, caught 104 passes for 1,297 yards and 15 touchdowns last season. Denver cornerback Chris Harris will likely cover him for at least parts of Monday’s game.
“It’s a great matchup,” Harris said of his showdown with Brown. “It’s one of the best versus the best that’s been doing it for a long time. I think he’s a year above me and I’m right behind me, so we’ve been playing at a high level for a while. It’s going to be fun. It’s a rival game.”
Monday’s game will begin at 8:20 p.m. MT and will air on ESPN.
