As has been discussed ad nauseam, if you have talent you get a lot of leeway to make mistakes, act up and just be an overall thorn in the rear and still get what you want.
Antonio Brown is Exhibit A.
You know the story. There was the frostbitten feet, the helmet grievance that may or may not have come with a retirement threat and then the altercation with general manager Mike Mayock in which Brown reportedly called Mayock a "cracker" and threatened to punch the general manager. All that led to the Raiders reportedly planning to suspend the receiver for Week 1 and possibly beyond, laying the groundwork to void the remaining $29 million in guaranteed money the receiver has coming.
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Then, Brown reportedly issued an "emotional apology" Friday "surrounded by the team's captains," and everything might be better?
While head coach Jon Gruden told reporters Thursday that the team was preparing to play without Brown in Week 1 against the Denver Broncos, it looks like there's a possibility that Brown won't be suspended and will don the silver and black come Monday night, NFL Media's Ian Rapoport reported Friday.
Brown has all-world talent. He's been the best receiver in football for the past six seasons and is the key to helping quarterback Derek Carr take the next step in Gruden's offense. He also has been an All-Pro pain to the Raiders ever since arriving via trade back in March. He even unfollowed both the team and Carr on Instagram on Thursday after word of his dust-up with Mayock broke. Which is next-level petty.
But his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, clearly made it known to Brown that he could be cut and miss out on almost $30 million if he didn't mend the relationship posthaste, so now Brown is playing nice.
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Now, will this last? Who knows.
But it looks like the Raiders might just be at full strength come Monday night.