Lamar Jackson Responds After Antonio Brown Says He Wants to Play with Ravens QB
January 24, 2022
It appears Antonio Brown has his sights set on the Baltimore Ravens.
The former Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver said during an appearance on the I Am Athlete podcast that the next quarterback he wants to play for is Lamar Jackson. And it looks like the 2019 MVP is open to the idea.
The Buccaneers terminated Brown's contract earlier this month after he removed his helmet and jersey and ran off the field during a 28-24 win over the New York Jets. Since then, Brown said "a couple teams" have called him as he prepares for his next opportunity in the NFL.
This wouldn't be the first time Brown has talked about possibly playing with Jackson, though. After a video emerged of the two working out with Marquise "Hollywood" Brown in April 2020, Jackson was asked if he thought the Ravens should sign Brown, who was a free agent at the time.
“I’d be happy if they signed him,” Jackson said of Brown.
The veteran wide receiver was coming off a 2019 campaign that saw him traded from the Pittsburgh Steelers to the Oakland Raiders. He then demanded a trade from the Raiders, who later released him, before joining the New England Patriots, who also cut him following allegations of sexual and personal misconduct.
Brown joined the Buccaneers in 2020 after missing the first eight games of the season due to a suspension for violations of the NFL's personal conduct policy. He caught 45 passes for 483 yards and two touchdowns in the final eight games of the regular season.
The 33-year-old caught 42 passes for 545 yards and four scores through seven games in 2021.
If he were to sign with the Ravens, Brown would join a receiving group that includes Marquise Brown, Rashod Bateman, Sammy Watkins, Devin Duvernay, Miles Boykin and Tylan Wallace. He'd arguably be the best of the bunch and would instantly become one of Jackson's top targets.
The Ravens finished with the 13th-ranked passing offense in 2021, averaging 233 yards per game in the air. However, the team's 21 passing touchdowns ranked 21st, meaning it could definitely use Brown in 2022.