Antonio Brown wants to play for Ravens, QB Lamar Jackson responds

Jan. 25 (UPI) -- Free agent wide receiver Antonio Brown wants to play for the Baltimore Ravens in 2022, the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers star said.

Brown made the comments during an appearance Monday on Brandon Marshall's I AM ATHLETE show. The Buccaneers released the seven-time Pro Bowl selection and four-time All-Pro on Jan. 6 after an on-field exchange between Brown and coach Bruce Arians.

Marshall asked Brown who "the next quarterback in line" was for him in his career. Brown responded with "Action Jackson."

"Let's give Lamar Jackson his flowers. ... Shout out Lamar Jackson," Brown said. "That's it. Lamar Jackson is a great quarterback. Not only him throwing the ball, the dynamic of him playing and the excitement."

Marshall also asked Brown who his Top 5 quarterbacks options would be on his next team, but Brown said he wasn't "running quarterback campaigns."

Jackson responded to the comments by liking a link to the clip on Twitter, retweeting the video and posting a devil emoji.

Wide receiver Marquise "Hollywood" Brown, Brown's cousin, is teammates with Jackson on the Ravens. Antonio Brown also worked out with Jackson and his cousin in 2020.

Jackson said after the workout that he hoped the Ravens acquire Brown.

"That's the type of guy we need in our locker room," Jackson told reporters. "And I feel like the locker room here is different from any other locker room.

"It's like a brotherhood going on. It's none of that outside noise; it's strictly inside. We worry about each other; we worry about what we have going on. We want to win, and I can just tell in him that he wants to win. He wants to play ball."

Brown, who recently celebrated the Buccaneers' playoff exit on social media, also had on and off the field issues when he was a member of the New England Patriots, Las Vegas Raiders and Pittsburgh Steelers franchises. He remains interested in a return to the NFL.

Brown, 33, totaled 42 catches for 545 yards and four scores in seven games this season. He totaled 45 catches for 483 yards and four catches in eight games last season.

Brown's 928 career catches are the second-most among active players and rank No. 21 all-time. His 12,291 receiving yards are the third-most for an active player and rank No. 24 all-time. His 24 receiving touchdowns rank fourth among active players and No. 24 all-time.

Brown ranks second in Steelers history, trailing only Hines Ward, in career catches, yards and touchdown catches.