Antonio Brown wanted to play for Patriots since before Steelers traded him

Antonio Brown made a concerted effort to force his way out of Oakland and quickly signed with the New England Patriots, which led to a lot of speculation about that being the intended outcome all along. The more we learn, the more that seems like the case.

Prior to kickoff of “Sunday Night Football” between the Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers, Al Michaels shared some information about the events leading up to Brown landing in New England. The broadcaster confirmed that New England was the “chosen destination” when it became clear the Steelers were going to trade or release Brown, but “there was no way” Pittsburgh would trade him to their AFC rival.

It's a big thumbs from @TomBrady on the Antonio Brown deal.

"I'm a million percent in." #PITvsNE pic.twitter.com/sLnxzJvknu

— SNF on NBC (@SNFonNBC) September 8, 2019

“So here he is (now) in his chosen destination, you might say, by way of a connecting flight,” Michaels said.

It seems unlikely that Brown formulated a master plan to get himself to New England even after signing an extension with the Raiders that included $30 million in new guarantees. However, it is entirely possible — if not likely — that he had the Patriots in mind as soon as things started to go poorly in Oakland.

Brown’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, said several teams were interested in the star receiver, but Brown signed with the Patriots just hours after being released. We’ve heard reports that he took some truly mind-boggling steps to pressure Oakland to cut him, and we know how excited Tom Brady is to have Brown as a teammate. Forcing his way to New England may not have been the plan for Brown all offseason, but it sure seems like he had only one team in mind even before his divorce with the Raiders.