Antonio Brown’s dreams are about to come true, according to NBC Sports Boston reporter Trenni Kusnierek.
“The talk is that Antonio Brown always wanted to come here, which is why he was a malcontent in Oakland,” Kusnierek said Tuesday on Boston Public Radio.
The New England Patriots signed Brown on Sept. 7, hours after the Oakland Raiders released him due to a dispute between Brown and Raiders General Manager Mike Mayock.
According to the Associated Press, Brown demanded to be released from his contract with the Raiders after Maycock fined Brown for missing two practices and for “conduct detrimental to the team.” Brown escalated tensions by posting a notice of the fine on Twitter, and Maycock responded in a statement, asking Brown whether he was “all in or all out.”
Kusnierek speculated that part of the reason for Brown’s outburst may have been to force the team to release him and allow him to sign with another team. However, she added that Brown’s lack of discipline when it came to attending practices was also a problem when he played for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“He’s also a diva in the true sense of the word. He wants special rules for everything. He constantly shows up late to practices, misses walkthroughs. I read ... that the Steelers repeatedly had to hold team planes for him because he didn’t show up for the team plane on time.”
Behavior aside, Kusnierek does think Brown can be an asset to the team, and praised the player for his work ethic on the field.
“He is a prolific wide receiver,” Kusnierek said. “He works really hard. He’s not afraid to go over the middle and sacrifice his body.”
