Raiders dump Antonio Brown, who immediately signs with New England

What started as a joke on social media has become true, after Antonio Brown signed with the New England Patriots after being released by the Oakland Raiders earlier Saturday.

The Pats inked the wide receiver to a one-year, $15 million deal with $9 million guaranteed, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The Raiders made Brown available to play Week 1 after the team lifted his suspension early Friday afternoon. Hours later, Brown posted to his Instagram a video with private a phone call with Jon Gruden, which Gruden later called “awesome.”

Saturday morning, yet again, Brown took to Instagram again, asking on social media for the Raiders to release him.

Gruden said:

“We tried everything possible to make it work. It’s disappointing …We did everything we could to make this work …I am very proud of what we did as an organization: try.”

The Raiders fined the seven-time Pro Bowler more than $200,000 for conduct detrimental to the team then, Oakland voided Brown’s $29.1 million contract in guaranteed money.

Brown told NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport:

“Told me do not come in Thursday. Bad my name. Then come work, give two papers after the press conference. No guaranteed no way.”

Brown’s stint in Oakland includes: cyrotherapy frostbite, a helmet grievance which lead to a threat of retirement, an all-in or all-out statement by Mike Mayock, a fine for posting on Instagram, yelling at the general manager, a suspension, and finally, his release.

The team told Gruden they would back him up with any decision that was made regarding Brown.

The wide receiver set of the New England Patriots is now Julian Edelman, Josh Gordon and Brown.

Brown is not eligible to play against his former team the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1, but he should be active when New England visits the Miami Dolphins for Week 2.