Marquise “Hollywood” Brown will begin a new chapter with the Arizona Cardinals after three seasons with the Baltimore Ravens.
Before his new team hosts his former squad in Sunday’s preseason game, the wide receiver reflected on his tenure in Baltimore.
Per Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com, Brown said he enjoyed playing for the Ravens. However, he feels more essential at his current destination.
“It’s about happiness,” Brown said. “I want to feel like I am a part of something to win. At the Ravens, I just felt like sometimes they really didn’t need me. Regardless if I was there or not, they were going to win games.
“I love the game too much. I want to be involved.”
Baltimore’s performance declined while Brown’s numbers climbed in three seasons. He scored seven touchdowns on just 71 targets when the Ravens went 14-2 in his 2019 rookie campaign. Last year, he amassed 1,008 receiving yards for a team that cratered down the stretch without Lamar Jackson.
While Baltimore’s offense often skews run-heavy and has an elite pass-catching tight end in Mark Andrews, some Ravens fans (and Jackson) may disagree about not needing Brown.
The 25-year-old leaves behind a light receivers room that needs Rashod Bateman to make massive strides in his second season. No other Ravens wide receiver besides Brown and Bateman topped 300 yards last season.
Arizona, meanwhile, is certainly counting on Brown to make an instant impact. DeAndre Hopkins will serve a six-game suspension to start the season, leaving Hollywood as a top target for former Oklahoma teammate Kyler Murray.
Brown hasn’t had an ideal summer. A pre-camp hamstring injury delayed his practice availability, and he was arrested and charged with criminal speeding earlier this month.
He called his actions “very disappointing” and acknowledged that he wants to be a better role model for young fans.
“I want to learn from it,” Brown said of the speeding incident. “I’m not a guy who gets into trouble, so I want to put in my past and make sure I’m always doing the right things at all times.”
Per Urban, Brown won’t play against the Ravens this Sunday.