Antonio Brown has officially made his debut with the New England Patriots.
After all of the drama that has surrounded the star receiver over the past several days, the Pro Bowl wide receiver appeared in a Patriots jersey for the first time as he practiced with his new team on Wednesday.
Here’s video of Brown sporting a No. 1 jersey during his introductory practice as a member of the Patriots.
Antonio Brown, wearing No. 1, is here at #Patriots practice. Would need to pick a different number for games.
Here’s another one of Brown loosening up.
Antonio Brown, in temporary jersey No. 1, loosens up.
And here’s a 1:30 minute clip of Brown jogging and warming up with his Patriots teammates.
Antonio Brown Could Be Placed on NFL’s Exempt List
Brown is expected to make his debut against the Miami Dolphins in Week 2 — barring a possible suspension or being placed on the exempt list by the NFL for sexual assault allegations made against the veteran receiver.
The star wide receiver has been at the top of headlines for the past two months, forcing his way out of the Oakland Raiders on Saturday morning before being signed by the Patriots on Saturday afternoon. Brown signed a one-year, $15 million contract with roughly $10 million guaranteed.
Following Brown’s signing, Tom Brady had been excited about the prospect of teaming up with one of the league’s most dynamic threats, via ESPN’s Mike Reiss.
“Antonio, meeting him today, I really enjoyed being around him,” Brady said in his weekly Westwood One interview that aired Monday night. “He’s a very smart football player, knows how to play the game. He’s been extremely productive.”
However, the veteran quarterback stressed that while the Patriots look like the team to beat on paper, they’re still going to have to put the work in on the field.
“The only thing that I know what we can do is to go out there and work at it, to meet and to communicate, and get on the practice field and go through things,” Brady said on Westwood One. “I’m not buying into any hype or potential. I’m into work. He’s into work and our entire offense is into doing what’s in the best interest for the team. I’m really excited to get to practice on Wednesday.”
Antonio Brown Accused of Sexual Assault
Normally, we’d just be preoccupied with Brown’s debut with his new team. However, the NFL world was rocked on Tuesday night when the star receiver was accused of sexual assault by a former trainer and college classmate of his.
While Brown has denied the allegations and plans to countersue for civil extortion, it’s yet another blemish on Brown as he attempts to revive his career with the Patriots. New England released a statement regarding the allegations, stating that they do not condone sexual violence or assault.
“We are aware of the civil lawsuit that was filed earlier today against Antonio Brown, as well as the response by Antonio’s representatives,” the team’s statement said. “We take these allegations very seriously. Under no circumstance does this organization condone sexual violence or assault. The league has informed us that they will be investigating. We will have no further comment while that investigation takes place.”
Head coach Bill Belichick also addressed the matter, refusing to comment on the situation until more information became available.
“On Antonio’s situation, Antonio and his representatives have made statements so I am not going to be expanding on any of those, they are what they are. We’ve looked into the situation and 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 having any discussion about that today. That’s where we’re at. When we know more we’ll say more.”
We don’t know for certain how the NFL plans to handle Brown’s situation, but we’ll keep you updated here at Heavy as soon as more information becomes available.
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Antonio Brown Practices With Patriots for First Time [WATCH]