Have the Raiders finally had enough of Antonio Brown's drama after his reported confrontation with general manager Mike Mayock? If so, there's a way they can cut ties with their mercurial but histrionic-prone receiver and save themselves nearly $30 million.
The Raiders are considering suspending Brown and he could miss the season opener against the Broncos on Monday night, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Schefter later reported the Raiders may suspend Brown in order to eventually release him, while avoiding paying the former Steelers star any of the remaining $29.125 million in contract guarantees. (Brown already received a $1 million signing bonus).
If the Raiders decide to move on from Brown even before he plays a single snap for them, they'll have to act quickly. If Brown is on the Raiders' active roster for the season opener on Monday, his contract for 2019 automatically becomes guaranteed because he's a vested veteran. However, if he's on the suspended list for the Broncos game his contract could be voided entirely and Brown wouldn't collect another dime from the Raiders.
There's also a way for the Raiders to suspend Brown for the season opener and still have him suit up for them again. They could keep Brown out for Week 1, then reinstate him afterward and still maintain the option of releasing him without further pay at any time during the season.
From the injured feet, to the helmet saga, to butting heads with Mayock over unexcused absences and fines, these were issues with Brown the Raiders didn't envision when they traded for him and signed him to a three-year, $50 million contract in March.
The Raiders' boiling point may have come Wednesday when Mayock became upset with Brown for posting a letter from him on Instagram informing the star receiver he was subject to more than $50,000 in fines for missing team practices and a walk-through.
In his Instagram post, Brown added his own caption to Mayock's letter, writing, "When your own team want to hate but there's no stopping me now. Devil is a lie. Everyone got to pay this year, so we clear."
Mayock and Brown got into a heated argument Wednesday in Alameda and Brown threatened to hit Oakland's GM, according to the NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
