People already are afraid all this Antonio Brown nonsense in Oakland is going to land the receiver with the New England Patriots at some point.

And that fear probably is valid.

You know the story by now: Since getting traded to the Raiders earlier this offseason from the Pittsburgh Steelers, Brown’s time in Oakland has been an absolute circus. The latest ordeal was a big confrontation with general manager Mike Mayock that very well could result in Brown being suspended, traded or cut.

With that in mind, it’s worth revisiting the connection Brown has with the Patriots.

Back in March, Brown on his podcast basically shared an entire phone conversation he had with his agent, Drew Rosenhaus. In that conversation, Rosenhaus said he connected Steelers GM Kevin Colbert with Bill Belichick and that the Patriots were in the mix to trade for Brown.

That led to this back-and-forth.

Rosenhaus: I think the Steelers are taking it very seriously and trying to get (a trade) done, and that’s why they’re willing to consider New England. You know, think about that. Think about playing with the greatest quarterback in NFL history, and he’s a cool guy.

Brown: I’m saying, they’ve got them first rounds (picks) too, so am I going top two rounds? I’m going at least the first two rounds.

Rosenhaus: Oh yeah, oh absolutely. Of course, man.

Brown: That would be an honor.

Rosenhaus: They won’t tell me exactly what they’re willing to offer, but I have a feeling it’s going to be very lucrative for us.

Brown: That’s gonna be amazing.

Rosenhaus: And I don’t think we’ll have any problem getting a deal done with these guys.

Brown: Yeah we need that, we need that respect, that guarantee, that — Robert Kraft a cool guy, too.

Rosenhaus: Kraft is one of the wealthiest guys in the NFL, AB.

Brown: Yeah I’ll pull up, that would be great. That championship talk.

Now, that came just a couple months after Brown shared an old Instagram direct message exchange he had with Pats quarterback Tom Brady, in which Brady paid a compliment to the receiver.

Missed this from earlier this week but @AB84 Antonio Brown shared a private DM from #Patriots QB Tom Brady that was sent in September. For… whatever reason… pic.twitter.com/9q3CLwcaPp — Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) January 2, 2019

You would think the Raiders would try to do everything they can to get things right with Brown — after all, he is an electric talent when actually on the field. But if things keep going sideways, this definitely is going to end with Brown on the Patriots, right?

Thumbnail photo via Charles LeClaire/USA TODAY Sports Images