Patriots are the only team that can save Antonio Brown

On the surface, Antonio Brown is the least Patriots like player in the NFL. That makes New England the only team that can save the enigmatic star. 

Antonio Brown certainly didn’t stay unemployed for long. On the same day the controversial wide receiver was released by the Raiders he was scooped up by the New England Patriots. His recent antics in Oakland prove he’s a poor fit for the stringent culture that defines the defending Super Bowl champions. That’s precisely why they’re the perfect destination for the superstar wideout.

Predictably, Belichick and company are only committing a one-year deal to Brown. He’ll have the opportunity to earn as much as $15 million this year, but it’s worth noting that New England is giving Brown a $9 million signing bonus according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Even so, the deal effectively amounts to an expensive “prove it” opportunity for the former Pro Bowler.

It’s no secret that the Patriots have a long and checkered history of gambling on troubled superstars. Belichick and the organization have a strong belief that they can impose their culture on even the most troublesome personalities in the NFL. The idea of the “Patriot Way” is a real phenomenon. New England’s coaching staff demands that every player on the roster sacrifice their personal interests and goals for the good of the team.

That philosophy runs completely opposite to Brown’s reputation around the league. He’s the very epitome of the diva wide receiver that can drive coaches and quarterbacks mad. Mike Tomlin and Ben Roethlisberger would probably tell you he’s the worst version of that ideal. There’s a reason Pittsburgh was so happy to ship him to Oakland earlier this offseason.

To put it mildly, Brown will have to completely change the way he approaches football to make things work with his new team. That raises the significant risk that this move just won’t work out. It’s hard for veteran players to make slight changes in their approaches once they’re established in the league. There’s no guarantee that Brown can successfully travel the emotional distance required to fit in with the Patriots.

That doesn’t mean this isn’t the best move for his long-term career. Brown’s reputation around the league has been devastated by the antics that immediately preceded his departure from Pittsburgh and dominated his brief tenure with the Raiders. The only way he can repair that reputation to get his career back on track is to prove that he’s capable of massive and meaningful change. If he can thrive in New England this year then he will head into next offseason with real proof that he’s capable of change. There’s no other franchise in the league that can help him rehabilitate his career to nearly that regard. The Patriots are the only franchise that can save Brown’s career.