Lamar Jackson workout with Antonio Brown sets off Ravens rumors

Vinnie Iyer

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Lamar Jackson workout with Antonio Brown sets off Ravens rumors image

Move over, "Antonio Brown possibly joining Tom Brady and the Buccaneers." Hello, "Antonio Brown creating speculation of joining Lamar Jackson and the Ravens" — and quick goodbye to that rumor, too.

Brown and his cousin, second-year Ravens wide receiver Marquise "Hollywood" Brown, shared social media on Wednesday of their time working out on a practice field with Jackson, the NFL's reigning MVP. That was on the heels of the Browns hitting the gym with former NFL wide receiver Chad Johnson on Tuesday.

MORE: Why a Tom Brady-Antonio Brown reunion with Buccaneers seems unlikely

Antonio and Marquise have ties to Hollywood, Fla., as Miami-area natives — thus the latter's nickname. Jackson hails from nearby Boynton Beach. Although the three Floridians didn't follow coronavirus-related social distancing guidelines with their group hug, there sure was plenty of distance between Jackson and Antonio when they connected on a deep ball during a well-executed vertical route.

This "what if" big-play display is sure to falsely fuel "Antonio Brown to Ravens" talk. Brown to the Bucs was never really a thing, created simply by the fact Brady shared some desire to play with Brown at some point again.

The Bucs, the Ravens and all other teams that aren't the Steelers, Raiders and Patriots can enjoy only dreaming about what Brown once was, given there's no timetable on when he might be cleared by the NFL to show what he still can be. Time also is working against Brown, as he turns 33 in July.

The Ravens have Marquise Brown, tight end Mark Andrews, Miles Boykin and Willie Snead as their top Year 3 targets for Jackson. There's room to improve at wide receiver, but not with a high investment in either a veteran or draft pick.

Chalk up Antonio Brown's viral time with Jackson as a way to spend extended time with Marquise — not a means to a Hollywood ending of a tumultuous year.

Vinnie Iyer

Vinnie Iyer Photo

Vinnie Iyer, has been with TSN since 1999, not long after graduating from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. He has produced NFL content for more than 20 years, turning his attention to full-time writing in 2007. A native of St. Louis, Mo. but now a long-time resident of Charlotte, N.C. Vinnie’s top two professional sports teams are Cardinals and Blues, but he also carries purple pride for all things Northwestern Wildcats. He covers every aspect of the NFL for TSN including player evaluations, gambling and fantasy football, where he is a key contributor. Vinnie represents TSN as host of the “Locked On Fantasy Football” podcast on the Locked On network. Over his many years at TSN, he’s also written about MLB, NBA, NASCAR, college football, tennis, horse racing, film and television. His can’t-miss program remains “Jeopardy!”, where he was once a three-day champion and he is still avid about crossword puzzles and trivia games. When not watching sports or his favorite game show, Vinnie is probably watching a DC, Marvel or Star Wars-related TV or movie.