Latest On Patriots’ Antonio Brown
Bill Belichick faced the media on Wednesday afternoon to discuss Antonio Brown but, as expected, he was light on details regarding the embattled wide receiver. The Patriots’ head coach said that he expected Brown to practice on Wednesday, but would not say whether Brown would be permitted to suit up on Sunday.
Brown was accused of rape in a federal lawsuit, which could result in NFL discipline, among other more serious consequences. That is to say, Brown could be barred from playing by the league office via paid leave, taking the decision out of the Patriots’ hands.
Here’s the latest on Brown:
- In an interview on ESPN, agent Drew Rosenhaus came to the defense of his client: “I wouldn’t be doing this interview if I didn’t believe Antonio. These allegations are false. He denies everyone of them. I’m very confident his legal team has facts that will prove this.”
- Rosenhaus went on to say, “I’ll repeat this. This is a money grab. I believe this: this is a money grab.” The phrase “money grab” also appeared in an official statement from Brown’s attorney on Tuesday night.
- Here’s a snippet from Belichick’s less-than-informative presser: “On Antonio’s situation, both Antonio and his representatives have made statements, so I’m not going to be expanding on any of those. They are what they are. We’ve looked into the situation. We’re taking it very seriously, all the way through the organization. I’m sure there are questions but I’m not going to be entering into any discussion about that.”
- The language of Brown’s contract may allow the Patriots to escape his guarantee, as to Albert Breer of The MMQB tweets. Reportedly, $10MM of Brown’s $15MM 2019 salary is, or was, locked in.
Jets’ Quincy Enunwa Done For Season
Jets wide receiver Quincy Enunwa will miss the remainder of the season with a neck injury, Brian Costello of the New York Post tweets. Sadly, given Enunwa’s previous neck injury, this could be a career-ender for the 27-year-old. 
This is the second time in three seasons that Enunwa’s season ended prematurely due to a neck injury. In 2017, it cost him the entire campaign.
Enunwa suffered the injury in the first quarter of the Jets’ season-opening loss to the Bills. Somehow, he managed to return to action later on, but was targeted just three times in total.
The Jets inked Enunwa to a four-year, $36MM extension back in December. There is no good news here, but the silver lining is that Enunwa will collect on at least $10MM, the fully-guaranteed amount of the pact. He also has $6MM guaranteed for injury in 2020.
The Jets traded for Patriots wide receiver Demaryius Thomas this week, a move that was a bit of a head-scratcher at the time. Now, we know that the deal was about more than Adam Gase reuniting with an old friend – Thomas will attempt to step in for Enunwa, one of the Jets’ most talented offensive players.
NFL Considering Paid Leave For Antonio Brown
The NFL will give serious consideration to placing Antonio Brown on paid leave via the commissioner’s exempt list, multiple people tell Mark Maske of the Washington Post. Brown has been accused of rape and sexual assault in a federal lawsuit filed in Florida and the NFL may take action against him as the legal process begins.
[RELATED: Antonio Brown Accused Of Rape In Lawsuit]
If placed on the exempt list, Brown would be barred from playing. It’s a decision is expected to come this week, after some investigating by the league office, before the Pats take on the Dolphins in Miami. Then again, the NFL could theoretically allow Brown to play for the Pats while the investigation is underway, then later decide to place him on paid leave.
Brown reported to the Patriots’ facility on Wednesday with the expectation that he would participate in practice and meetings. The wide receiver, though his attorney, has denied any wrongdoing and termed the lawsuit as a “money grab.”
The league has used the commissioner’s exempt list to park other notable players in recent years, including Greg Hardy and Adrian Peterson.
Patriots Trade Demaryius Thomas To Jets
The Patriots have traded wide receiver Demaryius Thomas to the Jets, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). In exchange, the Jets will send a 2021 sixth-round pick to New England. 
It’s a rare intra-divisional trade for two teams that have a storied history together. But, after the Patriots used draft capital to strengthen their offensive line in August, they were eager to recoup some ammo. Meanwhile, head coach Adam Gase was eager to reunite with Thomas, who was among the league’s best receivers during their time together in Denver.
Thomas is now on to his fourth team in the past year after being traded for the second time in 2019. The first swap saw him traded from the Broncos to the Texans just prior to the 2018 trade deadline. Now, after a cup of coffee with the Pats, he’s on to the Jets.
The Jets believe that Thomas can help them move the chains, even though he’s clearly not the player that he once was. The Patriots, meanwhile, will have the services of newcomer Antonio Brown, one of the game’s greatest receivers of all-time.
Jaguars’ Nick Foles Out Indefinitely
Jaguars quarterback Nick Foles suffered a broken left clavicle against the Chiefs, the team announced. There’s no timetable for his return, but this figures to be a lengthy absence for the club’s new signal caller. He’ll go under the knife on Monday and, after the operation, doctors should know more about his status moving forward.
Foles’ debut wound up lasting less than one quarter. Early on, Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones broke through the O-Line and slammed Foles to the ground, where he suffered the injury. Foles’ ball was caught by DJ Chark for a touchdown, but the club was forced to turn to sixth-rounder Gardner Minshew on the next drive. The Jaguars went on to lose 40-26 without Foles, and it didn’t help that they also lost linebacker Myles Jack along the way following his ejection.
For now, Minshew projects as the club’s starter for next week’s game against the Texans, as he is the only QB on the active roster. His backup, in all likelihood, will be practice squad member Chase Litton.
The Jaguars inked Foles to a four-year, $88MM deal in March, including $50MM+ in guarantees. The club, of course, still has high hopes for the 30-year-old and one-time Super Bowl MVP.
Chargers’ Melvin Gordon Plans To Report
The Chargers remain without Melvin Gordon as the running back is holding out for a new contract. Sources tell Ian Rapoport of NFL.com that Gordon will not sit out the entire season like Le’Veon Bell did last year. Instead, he plans to report between Weeks 6 and 8. 
Gordon will play on the $5.6MM fifth-year option of his contract this season, though that amount will be prorated based on how many games he plays. He must report before Week 10 in order to qualify for free agency next season.
Gordon’s plan to sit out for up to half of the season is a risk management tactic, as he wants to mitigate the chances of injury heading into free agency. He’s missed nine games because of injuries in his four years, though he’s played hurt in several games.
Los Angeles has already fined Gordon over $1MM and previously gave him permission to seek a trade. The Eagles were among the interested teams in his services, though the Chargers found their offer underwhelming. Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson will split touches while Gordon is away.
Patriots Sign Antonio Brown
Hours after the Raiders released Antonio Brown, the Patriots are set to swoop in. They have agreed to terms with the mercurial superstar, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). The defending Super Bowl champions are set to take a chance on arguably this era’s premier wide receiver, despite his drama-filled 2019. The Patriots announced the signing.
This will be a one-year deal worth up to $15MM, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk tweets. Brown will receive a $9MM signing bonus, which could well end up being more than he will end up collecting from the Raiders.
Unfortunately for the football-following world, Brown cannot face the Steelers on Sunday night. But he stands to be part of this stunningly high-profile receiving corps Monday. Brown’s Instragram, as could be expected, has him Photoshopped in a Patriots jersey. Bleacher Report’s Master Tefatsion was the first to report Brown was nearing a Patriots deal (Twitter link).
In one of the league’s ultimate talent-trumps-everything moves, the four-time first-team All-Pro will move from the Raiders — who sent third- and fifth-round picks to the Steelers for Brown in March — to the Patriots. Different circumstances are obviously involved, but this mirrors another polarizing great’s trek from 12 years ago. The Pats traded a fourth-round pick to the Raiders for Randy Moss in 2007; Moss set the NFL’s single-season receiving touchdown record that season.
The Patriots exited their sixth Super Bowl season with question marks at wide receiver. They are set to enter Week 1 with Brown, Josh Gordon and Demaryius Thomas joining Julian Edelman. For a franchise that thrives on strikes of this sort, this qualifies as one of the Patriots’ all-time transactions. (Of course, the Pats will likely part ways with one of their wideouts, with Florio positing — on Twitter — Thomas might be the one to go.)
New England entered Saturday with $6.21MM in cap space, so some maneuvering will need to be done. But the perennial AFC favorites will see if they can manage the 31-year-old talent in a way the Raiders could not.
Brown has since released another video showing not exactly veiled excitement once he learned the Raiders released him (Twitter link). This came a day after a reportedly emotional apology Brown issued to his Raider teammates. There are not many NFL stories that can compete with this one, pound-for-pound.
Brown’s offseason included multiple retirement threats, him forcing his way out of Pittsburgh, the cryogenic chamber mishap and a months-long helmet dispute that ended with two rulings against him. His week included sharing a photo of a Raiders fine, a confrontation with GM Mike Mayock and a social media leak of a Jon Gruden phone call. The Raiders voided Brown’s $29MM-plus guarantees and released him shortly after, doing so a day after opting not to suspend him for Week 1. Brown will not play in Week 1 but will be eligible to suit up when the Patriots travel to Miami next week.
On the field, Brown has submitted a Hall of Fame resume. He transformed from sixth-round Steelers find to perennial Pro Bowler; he landed on the top All-Pro team from 2014-17. Last season, his yardage dropped to 1,297 but he still led the league with 15 touchdown catches. Brown has surpassed 1,499 yards in a season four times; the Patriots have only had one player (Wes Welker in 2011) do that in their 59-season history.
While not all of the Patriots’ gambles have worked out, with the likes of Chad Johnson and Albert Haynesworth disappointing following Foxborough arrivals, Moss and Corey Dillon delivered a major return. There certainly is no guarantee here, but the Patriots’ signing bonus reveals a degree of confidence they can make Brown’s Massachusetts stay look closer to his All-Pro work than what transpired in Oakland.
Raiders Release WR Antonio Brown
And just like that, Antonio Brown‘s tenure with the Raiders has come to an end. The organization announced that they’ve released the star receiver. This comes hours after Brown requested his release from the team via Instagram.
Of course, the saga between these two sides is far from over. Brown effectively hasn’t seen a dime from the organization (Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com estimates that he earned a week’s salary), as the majority of his 2019 money was via a guaranteed $14.625MM base salary that was voided last night. As Mark Maske pointed out earlier today (on Twitter), Brown’s camp will likely fight both the team’s attempt to revoke the entire $29.1MM in guaranteed money and his $215K in fines.
As we noted earlier, the Raiders told Brown that he would “no longer will be entitled to termination pay” should he be released; former GM (and current ESPN employee) Mike Tannenbaum notes that the organization can’t “unilaterally take away a player’s right to termination pay” (which is a CBA perk for veteran players). On the flip side, the Raiders could pursue a “conduct detrimental claim” to recoup the money. That’s when things get tricky; the organization would then be dependent on the ruling of an arbitrator. If Brown’s behavior isn’t deemed to be detrimental, then the Raiders would have sacrificed more than $30MM and a pair of draft picks for zero production.
Brown has been a constant source of drama throughout his brief tenure in Oakland. Following frostbitten feet and a helmet dispute, it all seemed to culminate this week when the receiver berated general manager Mike Mayock after being fined for missing practices. The organization was then reportedly set to suspended the wideout, although the two sides seemingly made up, Brown was simply fined, and reports indicated that he’d play in Week 1. Then, last night, Brown was officially slapped with those fines, which then voided his guarantees. As a result, the 31-year-old requested his release this morning, and according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, Brown is attributing his discontent to the team’s apparent lack of respect.
“Told me do not come in Thursday. Bad my name,” Brown told Rapoport (Twitter link). “Then come work, give two papers after the press conference. No guaranteed no way.”
For the Raiders, the drama has seemingly ended for the time being. As Fitzgerald tweets, the move should open up around $28MM in cap space this season (pending any grievances). Meanwhile, the team will now have clarity on their receiver depth chart heading into Week 1. As of right now, Tyrell Williams and JJ Nelson are listed as Derek Carr‘s top targets.
Considering his status as a veteran, Brown isn’t subject to waivers, tweets NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero. ESPN’s Field Yates tweets that the receiver is free to sign with a new team at 4:01 PM EST today, although he won’t be eligible to play for a new team tomorrow. Agent Drew Rosenhaus indicated that he’ll immediately start looking for a new home for his client.
“Now that Antonio is a free agent, we are focused on the future and I will immediately work on signing him to a new team,” Rosenhaus said (via ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Twitter). “Antonio is looking forward to a new beginning.”
The agent also provided some insight into Brown’s failed stint with the Raiders.
“It’s been well-documented that it’s been a rocky road from the beginning,” Rosenhaus told Rapoport. “Unfortunately, not all relationships between players & teams work out. … Everybody had the best intentions going in but it didn’t pan out.”
Raiders’ Antonio Brown To Play Vs. Broncos
What a week. What an offseason. 
Antonio Brown will play on Monday night against the Broncos, Raiders head coach Jon Gruden announced. Brown made a mea culpa to Raiders staffers and teammates on Friday morning, and that apparently put him back in the team’s good graces.
It’s a stunning turn of events, particularly after Brown’s latest incident. For those of you who haven’t been tuned in to the NFL’s most fascinating story of the offseason:
- Brown threatened to retire, and skipped practices, when the NFL refused to let him wear his helmet of choice.
- Brown was handed a letter, outlining fines for those missed practices when he returned to the club in late August. He expressed his dissatisfaction by posting a picture of the letter to social media and indicated that he would not pay the fine.
- Sometime after, Brown nearly came to blows with GM Mike Mayock. He punted a football, threatened to punch him, and called him a “cracker.”
At least, that’s the Reader’s Digest version. There’s also the strange saga of Brown’s final two years in Pittsburgh, the trade that brought him to the Raiders, and the cryotherapy session gone awry that left him with a foot malady.
In light of all of that, the strangest twist of all is this: Brown will suit up and play in the Raiders’ season opener against the Broncos on Monday night.
Raiders’ Antonio Brown To Play On Monday?
Things move fast in Oakland. On Thursday, Raiders coach Jon Gruden told people that Antonio Brown was not in the team’s plans for Monday. Now, there is a real chance he will not be suspended, allowing him to suit up for the season opener against the Broncos (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport).
On Friday, Brown issued “an emotional apology” at a team meeting, while standing alongside team captains (Twitter link via Josina Anderson of ESPN.com). Things have been extremely fluid between Brown and the team all offseason long, but this could be a real turning point. At this moment, it appears that Brown is on course to face Denver.
Days ago, Brown got into a heated argument with GM Mike Mayock that reportedly included Brown:
- Punting a football in Mayock’s vicinity
- Threatening to punch Mayock in the face
- Cursing Mayock out, and calling him a “cracker”
After the incident, the Raiders appeared set on suspending Brown and voiding his ~$30MM in guarantees. But, despite that exchange, and all of the wild drama of the summer, the two parties appear ready to bury the hatchet – for now.