Wide receiver Antonio Brown left Pittsburgh partly because of a soured relationship with his quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger.
After the final game of last season, Brown said Roethlisberger acted as if he were the team owner and he blamed the QB for ruining their working relationship.
So far, Brown has nothing but great things to say about his new quarterback with the Raiders, Derek Carr. And Carr, too, is in the honeymoon phase with Brown, calling him an “awesome” man and a “great teammate.”
The Raiders are hoping Brown gives Carr the dynamic receiver he needs to stretch defenses (along with ex-Charger Tyrell Williams), and Brown believes he’s a perfect fit with Carr and the Oakland offense.
Brown says he feels totally welcomed by Carr and his new teammates, and that will go a long way toward success in 2019.
“It’s extremely important to have a relationship off the field because playing football, you get mentally tired, you get frustrated,” Brown told reporters Tuesday during the Raiders’ second week of organized team activities (OTAs). “You always want to have that respect for a guy to know where he’s coming from, know what he stands for and know what’s important to him, so you guys can be on the same page and do what you desire to do and desire to win.”
The Raiders coaches and players have said Brow’s enthusiasm and energy since joining the team have been exemplary. If that translates to a good connection with Carr and production in the passing game, the Raiders’ offense will be much more explosive than it has been the past two years.
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In his final season with the Steelers in 2018, Brown had 104 catches for 1,297 yards and an NFL-leading 15 touchdown catches. He’s had six straight seasons of 100 or more catches and 1,200 or more yards.
