Ravens QB Lamar Jackson On Antonio Brown: 'I'm Still Hoping, A Little Bit'
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson said earlier this offseason that he would be pleased if the team signed former New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown. No action was taken after those comments, but Jackson hasn't given up hope that he'll be able to unite with the veteran receiver.
"It was nice throwing to Antonio Brown [this offseason]," Jackson said, via Jamison Hensley of ESPN. "I was hoping we would get him. I'm still hoping -- a little bit."
That hope hinges on Brown being reinstated to the league which, presents a bit of a problem. As of this writing, the 32-year-old Brown remains on the commissioner's exempt list following several off-field incidents involving the receiver last fall. The league continues to investigate Brown following those incidents and, until that investigation has been wrapped up, Brown won't be allowed back on the field.
Brown himself has gone back-and-forth between retiring and not over the past 11 months since being placed on the exempt list. Earlier this week, he posted on Instagram calling for the league to come to a conclusion in its investigations.
Brown is the cousin of current Ravens receiver Marquise "Hollywood" Brown and the two worked out together in Florida this offseason with Jackson in attendance.
Jackson expanded on the reasons that he wants Brown as a teammate later in the conference call with media saying that there's "no quit" in him.
"Around us, he's a great guy. He's cool, down-to-earth guy," Jackson said. "He's passionate about the sport of football. He was working and you can tell ... he's going to go 24/7. Prior to the workout, he lifted. We go out there, throwing routes, and after that, he lifted some more. I was like, 'there's no quit in this guy.'
Adding Brown to the collection of weapons that the Ravens already have on offense would make it pretty formidable entering the 2020 season. In Brown's last full year in 2018, he hauled in 104 passes for 1,297 yards and 15 touchdowns.