(COVINGTON, La.) — Antonio Brown’s road to New England has been bumpy.  Brown, recently released by the Oakland Raiders, is now a wide receiver for the Patriots.

Brown was traded by the Pittsburgh Steelers to the Oakland Raiders in March after he missed the final game of the 2018 season, reportedly out of spite. In the eyes of his team, his behavior on and off the field had become intolerable. Once he arrived in Oakland, his conduct did not improve.

Shortly after Raiders’ training camp started, Brown filed a grievance against the NFL for not allowing him to wear a helmet that failed to adhere to new safety guidelines. He missed most of training camp and when faced with a fine, Brown threatened to punch General Manager Mike Mayock.  After initially planning to suspend Brown for his behavior, the Raiders decided to let Brown play week one after he publicly apologized. When Brown posted a private conversation he had with Head Coach Jon Gruden on YouTube, the Raiders released him. Brown’s reaction to being cut led analysts to assume that Brown intentionally tried to escape the Raiders.

 

Just hours after his release from the Raiders, Brown signed a one year deal with the Patriots. He did not play in the week one blowout against the Steelers. Brown is expected to play this Sunday when his new team faces the Miami Dolphins. However, this may change given the recent allegations of sexual assault being made against him.

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said that he is “one million percent,” in favor of adding Antonio Brown to the lineup. While Brown has received an extreme amount of negative media attention, the Patriots already high Super Bowl odds have increased even more.