New England Patriots won’t have to pay the full price for their failed experiment with problematic wide receiver Antonio Brown. According to reports, Pats managed to reach a settlement with Brown and will pay him $5 million in roster bonus instead of $9 million.
Pats signed Brown back in September 2019 to a $15 million deal that included a $9 million signing bonus. However, the team released Brown due to his off-the-field behavior after just one week and tried to avoid paying him. The player then filed a grievance against the team, asking his money.
New England reportedly also settled a grievance with NFL Players Association in the case of late Aaron Hernandez. With these two settlements, Patriots managed to create significant cap space, and now have $7.79 million at their disposal.
New England Patriots needed space to fit the salary of newly acquired quarterback Cam Newton. The team is also expected to make a run at several free agents in order to reinforce their roster ahead of their first season in the post-Tom Brady era.
Pats will reportedly also try to make a run for Cleveland Brown’s tight end David Njoku, who recently asked for a trade.
