The Oakland Raiders cut Antonio Brown after his lastest Instagram post asking to be released and essentially voiding nearly $30M in guaranteed money.
The move comes after a week that involved several twists and turns for the player. Insiders predicted Brown was going to be released by the team — or at the very least, suspended for conduct detrimental to the team.
Brown ended up apologizing to his teammates on Friday and Coach Jon Gruden said he was back in and would be playing Monday. Then shortly thereafter Brown released a video on YouTube that appeared to feature a recording of Gruden talking him in to coming back in a phone call.
In the video, the phone call is played in which a voice assumed to be that of Gruden asks “What the hell is going on, man?” the voice said. “Let me ask you this, do you want to be a Raider or not?”
To which Brown replied, “Man, I’ve been trying to be a Raider since day one … I don’t know why it’s a question of me being a Raider. It’s like, do you guys want me to be Raider?” he said.
Reports say Brown’s release seemed to stem from the fact that he was fined $215,073.53 — a move by the team that essentially voided the guaranteed pay he was supposed to receive from his nearly $30 million contract.
Brown had already been fined earlier for missing several practices that the organization called “unexcused.”
ESPN reporter Jeff Darlington said he received an email Saturday from Brown who he stated that the team “took away my guarantees,” adding that there was “no way I play.”
Brown’s agent Drew Rosenhause told NFL reporter Ian Rapoport immediately after that the wide receiver is now “a free agent.”
While It’s not immediately clear what triggered the massive fine, according to Rapoport it all boiled down to an altercation between Brown and the teams General Manager Mike Mayock where he is said to have screamed at the GM, punted the ball and shouted “fine me for that.” And that’s exactly what they did.
