New Raiders receiver Antonio Brown has a lofty goal for the rest of his career, and he started on that journey by making a "special delivery" to the home of his new quarterback, Derek Carr.
Brown on Wednesday posted a video to social media, showing him knocking on Carr's door and giving him a big hug. The former Steelers star no doubt was looking to get a head start on that all too necessary chemistry between a quarterback and receiver.
Meanwhile, Brown met the media for the first time as a member of the Silver and Black on Wednesday, and told reporters in Alameda he has the greatest wideout of all time in his sights.
"My goal really is to catch Jerry Rice," Brown said when a reporter asked about Brown's career longevity. "Playing with a guy like coach Gruden, obviously he knows what it takes to keep me upright and fresh and keep me out there for a long time."
Brown, 31, has played 130 games, caught 837 passes for 11,207 yards and 74 touchdowns in his nine-year NFL career. In order to surpass Rice, Brown needs to play 174 more games, have 713 additional receptions for 11,689 more yards. Brown would also need to score 124 additional touchdowns.
Doing so would require Brown to average the following per-game statistics: Four receptions, 67 yards and 0.71 touchdowns. Assuming the NFL regular-season schedule doesn't expand to 18 games, Brown would have to play 11 more seasons and play every game in those seasons.
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Those are daunting mountains to climb, to say the least. But, Brown said he is well-aware of how difficult passing his idol would be.
"It's a tremendous challenge. It's a challenge every year to prove my love for the game, and I'm just taking it one year at a time," Brown said. "Obviously, my goal in the back of my mind [is] to catch Jerry Rice. Every year, I have to prove my love. ... Nothing in the NFL is ever guaranteed, or set in stone. I know these guys believe in me, but it's a lot for me to prove here so I'm here to prove I am and what I stand for."
Brown made it clear in various social media posts this winter he wanted to follow in Rice's footsteps. He made it explicit he wanted to do so with the 49ers, but Brown can still do the same with the Raiders. Rice's second NFL stint was in Silver and Black, just like Brown's will be this fall.
Passing him in the record book is going to be another matter entirely.
