Patriots hold team option on Antonio Brown’s contract for 2020
Antonio Brown agreed to sign with the New England Patriots for the 2019 season after he was released by the Oakland Raiders, and Bill Belichick actually has the option of keeping the star receiver around for the next two years if he so chooses.
Brown’s contract with the Patriots was originally reported as a one-year deal that includes a $9 million signing bonus and could be worth up to $15 million. However, the Patriots also tacked on a team option for 2020 that would be worth $20 million guaranteed if they picked it up.
Patriots added an option year for Antonio Brown in 2020 at $20 million which becomes guaranteed if executed, per source. It was done to help for cap proration purposes this season.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 9, 2019
As Schefter mentioned, the 2020 option is for salary cap purposes. Still, you have to wonder if another season of Brown at $20 million will sound appealing to the Patriots if all goes well this year. Tom Brady is not getting any younger, and the window to continue piling up championships in New England is slowly closing. If Brown enjoys his time with the Patriots and they decide to make one more run at a Super Bowl next year, perhaps there’s a situation where both sides would be interested in continuing the relationship.
Of course, Brown’s contract could also be reworked if that happens. It’s far too early to say how things will go, but Brady seems extremely excited about his new teammate. Brown has also reportedly wanted to play in New England for quite some time, so it’s not out of the question that his time with the Pats could last more than a year.