Antonio Brown’s brief tenure with the Patriots could have long-term consequences for the franchise. Tom Brady isn’t happy about the receiver’s release.
The Patriots only employed Antonio Brown for 11 days, but the team’s decision to release him may have serious ramifications on the team’s future. A disagreement between owner Robert Kraft and franchise quarterback Tom Brady over the decision to cut Brown could easily grow into a larger issue in the future.
Frankly, any disagreement between the franchise and their 42-year-old signal caller could lead Brady to have distaste thinking about the next few years. He’s done everything possible in the game. Brady certainly doesn’t have anything left to prove. In short, the Patriots need to do everything in their power to keep him happy if they want him to keep playing professional football.
That’s what makes reports about Brady’s discontent with the decision to jettison Brown so concerning. In particular, the fact that Kraft made the decision without consulting Brady or anyone else in the organization, could prove troubling with the two sides meet to discuss his plans for the 2020 season this offseason.
At the very least, Kraft and the rest of his front office need to reach out to Brady and explain their line of thinking. That should have happened before the team chose to take away one of the league’s most dangerous wide receivers. Damage control may not be ideal, but it does have value. That’s why the Patriots’ brass need to mend fences with their star quarterback immediately.
If they don’t, it’s easy to envision a scenario where Brady decides to take his ball and go home. The sudden decision of Rob Gronkowski to retire already made his life more difficult on the field this season. Getting Brown into the fold seemed to be the perfect way to ease the workload on the ageless signal caller.
The Patriots’ decision to sign Brown and then release him 11 days later was the equivalent of handing a child a shiny new toy and then snatching it away from them just as they learned how to use it properly. It may have been the right decision for Kraft and the organization, but it certainly isn’t going to make Brady’s life easier on the field.
In the end, the Patriots should be able to smooth things over with Brady, but it’s not something the organization should take for granted. Every disagreement they have with him could lead to Brady deciding that he’s had enough of life in the NFL.