The Oakland Raiders shook up the football world on Saturday, releasing superstar wide receiver Antonio Brown just months after acquiring him in a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Brown’s departure followed weeks of discontent and disagreements with Raiders coaches and front office personnel.
When asked today whether the New Orleans Saints would have any interest in acquiring Brown, who is now an unrestricted free agent, Saints head coach Sean Payton kept his answer brief.
“If you’re asking if we have any interest in the player? No,” Payton responded during his media availability.
Reports from ESPN and NFL Network back in March — when the Steelers were searching for a trade partner to ship Brown out of town, eventually settling with the Raiders — connected the Saints to Brown in trade talks, though interest appears to have been cursory at best. Nick Underhill of The Athletic described New Orleans’ interest in Brown as “close to zero” even before his fallout with Oakland.
Now that Brown is firmly off the table, the Saints will go into their Monday night season opener with the receivers already on their roster. First-team All-Pro Michael Thomas headlines a group that also includes veteran Ted Ginn Jr., second-year pros Tre’Quan Smith and Keith Kirkwood, reserve slot specialist Austin Carr and return specialist Deonte Harris, who figures to handle punts and kickoffs.
