You can expect a busy Patriots debut for Antonio Brown.
The star receiver, whose drama-filled first week in New England dominated NFL headlines, is expected to play Sunday against the Miami Dolphins, according to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport. Furthermore, Brown is expected to see a heavy workload in what will be his first game action of the 2019 season.
From Rapoport’s column filed Sunday morning:
“The Patriots will play the Dolphins today and wideout Antonio Brown is expected to be on the field, sources say. He practiced every day during the week, is a real part of the game plan and, football-wise, is ready to contribute. As one source said, they plan to feed him.
“To that end, Brown stayed until 10 p.m. or later most days during the week to catch passes from backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham, while he worked on his routes and the playbook. Similar to Josh Gordon’s debut last year, the goal will be to get him catches early, get him involved, and get one of the NFL’s best receivers some confidence in the scheme”
As fascinating as his Patriots debut could be, equally newsworthy is what the future might hold for the 31-year-old.
Brown, despite being the subject of disturbing rape allegations in a recent civil lawsuit, avoided both suspension and a spot on the commissioner’s exempt list. However, the NFL reportedly will interview Brown’s accuser, Britney Taylor, on Monday, and meet with the star receiver soon thereafter.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has the power to suspend a player or put them on the exempt list if he believes there has been a violation of the league’s personal conduct policy.
