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A.J. Brown Laughs Off Criticism of Skipping Titans On-Field Work amid Contract Rumors
April 18, 2022
Tennessee Titans wide receiver A.J. Brown is facing a wave of criticism Monday, but he doesn't seem to be bothered.
ESPN's Adam Schefter named Brown among the receivers expected to skip all on-field work during their respective teams' offseason programs while they seek new contracts. Brown apparently started getting some hate sent his way, which he laughed off on Twitter:
Brown's teammate Jeffery Simmons expressed support for him after he posted his tweets:
Brown was hobbled by a chest injury last season but put up 63 catches for 869 yards and five touchdowns in 13 games. Brown's impact was felt while he was healthy, as Tennessee went 11-2 in games he played. The 24-year-old had recorded over 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first two seasons in the NFL.
According to Schefter, San Francisco 49ers wideout Deebo Samuel and Washington Commanders receiver Terry McLaurin are also not expected to do any offseason work without new contracts.
The 2022 offseason has been notable for the record-breaking money being doled out to wide receivers. After acquiring All-Pro Davante Adams from the Green Bay Packers, the Las Vegas Raiders signed him to a $142.5 million deal that includes $67.5 million in guarantees and will pay him an annual average of $28.5 million, which at the time set a record for non-quarterbacks.
A week later, those numbers were shattered when the Miami Dolphins acquired speedster Tyreek Hill from the Kansas City Chiefs. Hill received a four-year, $120 million deal that pays him a record $30 million annually, to go with $72.2 million guaranteed and also $52.5 million at signing.
The Buffalo Bills' Stefon Diggs (four years, $104 million), Jacksonville Jaguars' Christian Kirk (four years, $72 million), Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Chris Godwin (three years, $60 million) and Los Angeles Chargers' Mike Williams (three years, $60 million) were all signed to lucrative deals this offseason as well.