NFL teams
Paul GutierrezMike Reiss 5y

Timeline of Antonio Brown's season

NFL, Oakland Raiders, Pittsburgh Steelers

Receiver Antonio Brown's has been cut by the New England Patriots after being released by the Oakland Raiders 14 days ago. Here is a timeline of what has transpired since Brown was traded from the Pittsburgh Steelers in March:

March 13: Brown is introduced in Oakland after being acquired in a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers for a third- and a fifth-round draft pick, and given a three-year, $30.125 million extension. "I bring accountability," Brown says. "I bring actions. Not what I say, what I do. How I approach things."

May 28: Brown is impressing coaches and teammates alike in OTAs and says coach Jon Gruden has challenged him. "It's never a dull day with Coach," Brown says. "Always challenging, always high energy and always detailed and fundamental in regards to our assignment."

July 25: Brown shows up to Napa, California, for training camp with frostbite on the bottom of both feet due to a cryotherapy mishap earlier in the month in France due to Brown not wearing the proper footwear.

July 26: Brown takes a hot air balloon ride at dawn over wine country to kick off training camp but is later in the day put on the non-football injury list.

July 28: Brown is activated from the non-football injury list and participates in pre-practice walk-through.

July 30: Brown participates in the first half of practice and puts on a show before shutting it down and leaving the field and facility early. He will not return for two weeks as he seeks treatment for his feet and in protest of the NFL banning his 10-year-old Schutt Air Advantage helmet for safety reasons.

Aug. 13: Brown returns to Napa, saying it was good to hear of general manager Mike Mayock and coach Jon Gruden supporting him in his absence.

Aug. 15: Brown and QB Derek Carr put on a show in pregame warm-ups in Arizona, though Brown does not play in the game.

Aug. 18: In the wake of losing his first grievance to wear his preferred helmet, Brown takes off from Napa again and is fined $40,000 by Mayock for the unexcused absence. Mayock later tells reporters that it is time for Brown to either be "all-in, or all-out."

Aug. 19: Brown returns to Napa as the Raiders break camp and head to the team facility in Alameda.

Aug. 22: Brown and Carr put on another show in pregame warm-ups in Winnipeg, Canada, and ask Gruden if they can run one play in the game against the Green Bay Packers, a go-ball. Gruden quickly declines as neither plays in the game, which was held on an 80-yard field. Brown skips a mandatory pregame walk-through.

Aug. 25: Brown loses his second grievance to wear his old helmet, but agent Drew Rosenhaus insists the receiver will find a new helmet, get an endorsement deal, and play on.

Sept. 4: Brown, who once shared on Facebook Live a postgame Steelers meeting with coach Mike Tomlin, posts to Instagram the letter sent to him from Mayock detailing his fines from Aug. 18 ($40,000) and Aug. 22 ($13,950). Brown tags the Raiders in his response, which reads, in part, "When your own team want to hate."

An agitated Brown, who usually stretches on his own during team stretch, skips the period entirely before emerging for individual drills. He goes through them halfheartedly, taking some plays off, barks at a strength and conditioning coach and fires a football into a fence after catching a pass from Carr and jogging to the end zone. Later, Brown reportedly gets into a confrontation with Mayock on the practice field. In the locker room, Brown tells two reporters he will speak on Thursday. Later, Brown announces he has reached a deal with Xenith to wear its helmet, posting, "Most calculated move by far."

Sept. 5: Reports break that the Raiders will suspend Brown for conduct detrimental to the team, setting the stage for a potential battle over his guaranteed money and putting into question whether Brown will ever play for the team.

"Antonio Brown's not in the building today; he won't be practicing," Mayock said. "I don't have any more information for you right now, and when I have some and it becomes appropriate, you guys all get it. I promise you. But that's it for today."

Sept. 6: Brown is back in the building. The wide receiver issues "an emotional apology" at a team meeting Friday morning, a source tells ESPN. Gruden issues a statement later in the day, saying in part: "Antonio is back today. We're excited about that. Ready to move on." 

Gruden says "the plan" is to have Brown in the lineup for the season opener against the Denver Broncos on Monday night.

Later in the day, Brown posts a YouTube video featuring a phone call involving Brown and Gruden.

Sept. 7: The Raiders fine Brown more than $215,000 for conduct detrimental to the team. By fining Brown, the Raiders void the $29.125 million worth of guaranteed money in his deal, sources say. Brown says there is "no way" he plays after losing guarantees. Brown asks for his release via Instagram. At noon ET, the Raiders release Brown.

After the move becomes official with the league just past 4:01 p.m. ET, Brown comes to an agreement in New England, Rosenhaus confirms to ESPN's Adam Schefter at 5:19 p.m. The one-year deal is worth up to $15 million, Rosenhaus says. It includes a $9 million signing bonus, $1 million guaranteed and $5 million in incentives.

Sept. 9: The Patriots sign Brown to a one-year deal that includes a $9 million signing bonus -- to be paid in two installments ($5 million on Sept. 23 and $4 million on Jan. 15).

Sept. 10: Britney Taylor, Brown's former trainer, files a civil suit in U.S. District Court in Miami, accusing Brown of three incidents of sexual assault or rape in 2017 and 2018, in Pennsylvania and Miami.

Sept. 13: The helmet manufacturer Xenith ends its relationship with Brown. "We look forward to seeing the Xenith Shadow worn by football athletes at all levels of play this fall," the company says.

Sept. 15: Brown plays his first and only game with the Patriots, finishing with four catches for 54 yards and a touchdown. 

Sept. 16: Taylor meets with the NFL. A source previously had told ESPN there are "more interviews and information-gathering being conducted now beyond Taylor."

In addition to the Taylor lawsuit, Brown faces another allegation of sexual misconduct by a female artist who was working at his Western Pennsylvania home in 2017. That allegation was part of a Sports Illustrated report published Monday that detailed domestic incidents involving Brown, a charity auction theft and multiple unpaid debts.

Sept. 19: The Boston Globe reports Brown no longer represents Nike. "Antonio Brown is not a Nike athlete," a company spokesperson tells the newspaper, which also reports the spokesperson declined to comment on why or the timing of the decision.

Sept. 19: The lawyer for the artist reaches out to the NFL after Brown apparently sent what were described as threatening text messages to her client. The sides speak Friday morning, with the woman's attorneys saying in a statement that the league "pledged to conduct a thorough investigation under its Personal Conduct Policy." According to that statement, the league also contacts the Patriots, who then direct Brown to have no further contact with the woman.

Sept. 20: The Patriots release Brown, less than two weeks after signing him.

"We appreciate the hard work of many people over the past 11 days, but we feel that it is best to move in a different direction at this time," the team said in a statement.

Sept. 22: Brown says he won't play in the NFL anymore and takes shots at New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in a series of tweets.

Sept. 23: Brown announces on social media that he has reenrolled at Central Michigan University.

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