MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — New England reporters were introduced to Antonio Brown’s unorthodox pregame routine Sunday morning.
Roughly two hours before the New England Patriots were set to kick off against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium, Brown, who signed with the Patriots on Monday, walked onto the field with a small rectangular pad, two blue resistance bands, a banana — and no shoes or socks.
The barefoot wide receiver then proceeded to run through a band-related stretching routine, followed by a balance exercise in which he caught what appeared to be a small beanbag from a team trainer while standing on one foot.
Brown, whose feet made headlines this summer when a cryotherapy mishap left him with frostbite, also took a moment to chat with his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, and former Pats and Dolphins wideout Chad Johnson before retreating to the locker room.
NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported Sunday morning New England intends to “feed” Brown in order to quickly integrate him into the offense. Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said earlier in the week the team will not “force the ball” to the seven-time Pro Bowler, who joined the Patriots following nine highly successful seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers and a disastrous six-month stint with the Oakland Raiders.
