The New England Patriots officially cut ties with Antonio Brown on Friday, concluding the wide receiver’s tumultuous 11-day tenure with the team.
Moments before the team announced his release, Brown thanked the team during a flurry of social media posts.
Brown played in one game for the Patriots, catching four passes for 56 yards and one touchdown. His brief tenure was marred by controversy, beginning with the civil lawsuit filed one day after his signing that accused him of sexually assaulting his former trainer on multiple occasions.
The Patriots explained their reasoning in a brief statement Friday afternoon.
“We appreciate the hard work of many people over the past 11 days,” the statement read, “but we feel that it is best to move in a different direction at this time.”
Brown’s release came one day after news of him allegedly sending “intimidating” texts to one of his accusers broke. It leaves the Patriots with a receiving corps of Julian Edelman, Josh Gordon, Phillip Dorsett, Jakobi Meyers and Gunner Olszewski entering Sunday’s matchup with the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium.
