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It wouldn’t be a night in the NFL without a tweet from Antonio Brown. The former New England Patriots‘ receiver took to social media following New England’s loss to the Tennessee Titans in the AFC Wild Card round.
Only it wasn’t to trash talk his former team or even pour salt in the wound by saying they would have won with him. Instead, he reacted to the more talked-about topic shrouding the team in recent weeks — Tom Brady’s future.
When it comes to Brown’s future, there’s certainly more doubt regarding that than Brady playing in 2020. But if Brown is to suit up next season, the receiver said it would be under one condition.
Brown only spent 11 days working with Brady but the two developed an immediate connection on and off the field. Brady invited Brown to stay at his home while he settled into New England. And during practice, the two had chemistry rarely seen during either of their NFL careers.
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Antonio Brown Worked Out for New Orleans Recently
While still searching for an NFL team after being cut by two teams this season, Brown worked out for the New Orleans Saints during Week 17. It wasn’t an independent workout for Brown, however, as he was one of a group of players New Orleans brought in to update its emergency list ahead of the playoffs.
But for Brown, while it may have at first seemed like a potential door opening for his NFL return, his attitude about the workout quickly changed. On an Instagram video following the workout, Brown was vocal about the situation. Via ESPN:
“I really am at peace. I just don’t like the lack of respect in the world,” Brown said in the video, which he filmed while working out on an exercise machine. “Everyone has deadlines, but I guess the NFL don’t have a deadline for me. So I appreciate [Saints coach] Sean Payton and them guys for supporting me to bring me out to work out. But I think it was a publicity stunt for them. Sean Payton knows the feeling of being left behind.
“But it is what it is. … I’m not gonna make excuses. I’m just gonna keep competing to be the difference, ‘cuz I know I’m the difference.”
Would He Play Next Season?
If Antonio Brown is to sign with any team, it’s likely the NFL would either suspend him or place him on the commissioner’s exempt list while they investigate his off-field allegations. Brown has burned bridges with several NFL teams while others may have become deterred from taking a chance on the talented albeit troubled receiver.
Brown clearly fed off Brady well and would be an asset for the quarterback wherever he ends up next season. But whether or not Brown is eligible to play is another story. One thing’s for sure, Brady appears likely to return for the 2020 season.