Despite the fact that Antonio Brown burned the bridge to each of his last three NFL stops, Lamar Jackson believes his Baltimore Ravens should dive into AB waters and take him on board as they prepare for the 2020 season. The NFL continued to push for Baltimore to sign Brown on Wednesday, and told reporters that he “still hopes” to bring this possible marriage to the altar. On Thursday, head coach John Harbaugh responded to Jackson’s wish and did not actually rule it out.
“Hey, I respect him for feeling that way. I respect his opinion about it,” Harbaugh said of the possibility of bringing Brown, through Jonas Shaffer of the Baltimore Sun. “We will observe any player at any time.”
However, the Ravens head coach was quick to throw some cold water on the subject and added: “I don’t think he’s available to sign.”
Technically, Brown, who has flown between withdrawing from the NFL and demanding that a team sign it, is available. That said, he will almost certainly be placed on the Commissioner’s exempt list by signing a deal with a team due to the league’s current investigation into a number of legal issues surrounding the talented but troubled receiver. In September, Brown was barred from the New England Patriots after just one game after the receiver texted intimidatingly to a woman who accused him of making unwanted sexual advances towards her. In addition to that, Brown is being investigated by the league on allegations of sexual assault and rape. It also did not allege any disputes over thefts and battery charges in June over an incident that occurred last January.
Despite that recent record, elite quarterbacks like Jackson, Russell Wilson, and Tom Brady have revealed some desire for his club to take him on board. Jackson and Wilson specifically have been working with him this offseason and Jackson noted Wednesday that “it was a nice pitch for Antonio Brown.”
Baltimore, who also has Brown’s cousin Marquise on the list, has some familiarity with the catcher after he shot to AFC North stardom as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers. The last full season for Brown came in 2018, where he caught 104 balls for 1,297 yards and 15 league-leading touchdowns.
There is no denying the talent of the 32-year-old, but there is also no denying some of the problems it could bring with him wherever he comes. Jackson said he believes Baltimore’s locker room “is different from any other locker room” and could absorb Brown without a hitch, but that’s a bit of a risky proposition for a club that’s set to compete for a Super Bowl in 2020.
