Antonio Brown should be able to sign somewhere soon now that his suspension is known.
Antonio Brown comes with a number of surrounding questions for any team that’s remotely interested in him, but at least one answer became clear on Friday with the announcement that he would be suspended for the first eight games of the 2020 season.
While the Kansas City Chiefs have very little need for a wide receiver like Brown given the need to distribute so many targets to options like Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce, Mecole Hardman, and Sammy Watkins, the reality is that Brown represents—at least in past seasons—a game-changing force for opposing offenses. Given the Chiefs status as the defending champs, it’s interesting to follow where Brown might end up, if anywhere.
Lamar Jackson certainly knows what Brown can bring to the table, and the Baltimore Ravens quarterback is keen to add him to the mix of what is already a very impressive offense. Jackson was last year’s MVP and the team has already brought in J.K. Dobbins and Devin Duvernay to help provide even more punch to match the Chiefs.
For a team like the Ravens or another contender to add Brown, it would be a serious boost to their chances to compete with the Chiefs for the Super Bowl in 2020. And in an already tight race in the AFC, the addition could prove to be the difference. Then again, the Chiefs have brought back nearly every single starter from last year’s championship roster and should be even better with the earned experience and chemistry.
As for why the Chiefs wouldn’t bother signing Brown, there are likely multiple layers here, but any new wideout would need to play special teams and Brown does not. Beyond the abundance of talent, the Chiefs also have a solid locker room as it is. It would be a total wild card to add a mercurial player like Brown—who just so happened to retire and then un-retire again last week.
Nevertheless, some team is going to overlook the suspension and the drama and try to take advantage of Brown’s considerable talents. Will it be the New England Patriots? Will Lamar Jackson get his wish? Is it possible a mystery team enters in? It will be interesting to see who wins (is this the right word?) the sweepstakes and how it affects the race down the stretch.