Speaking on NFL Total Access, former NFL signal-caller David Carr (brother of current Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr) shared insight on Antonio Brown.
Raider Nation tends to cherish and appreciate the contributions of Raider players, past and present. That stems from an undying loyalty to their team. However, there are a few exceptions, chief among them Randy Moss and another polarizing wide receiver in Brown. The former Pittsburgh Steeler joined the Silver and Black with high hopes for his future success. Instead, his short time with the Raiders was disappointing and controversial. He was eventually let go before he even played a single snap for Jon Gruden.
Antonio Brown received notable praise from someone familiar with the Raiders
Derek Carr’s brother, David, who’s become known for his Twitter presence and his analysis on NFL Network, actually praised Brown. Speaking on his decision to not play this upcoming season, Brown’s off-the-field, and some on-the-field, exploits are largely seen as the biggest issue that has derailed his career. Nevertheless, when it comes to Brown’s work ethic, Carr spoke highly of it.
“It’s just that other stuff that kind of derailed [his career] in the last few years. That’s exactly right. So, when he was with the Oakland Raiders, from the day he showed up there, he was the hardest working guy.”
Looking back, it’s probably difficult for Raiders fans to accept that Brown might’ve been the hardest-working player on the field. Given how quickly his tenure fizzled, there is no doubt how frustrating it must have been to see so much potential be wasted. Make no mistake, the Raiders’ 2019 was predicated on Brown. Once he was gone, you could argue that the team never got going.
“There were these GPS monitors that tracked your effort, how hard you’re running. He was consistently the fastest player on the field consistently, the guy moving at the most pace throughout the course of practice. He would fish into the endzone on every step of the screen.”
Looking at Carr’s assessment of what Brown brought to the table, it might remain one of the biggest “what-ifs” in Raiders’ history.
More must-reads: