New England Patriots

Morning sports update: Matt Cassel questioned why Tom Brady pushed for Bucs to sign ‘terrible human being’ Antonio Brown

"I have to call Tommy and be like, 'What is your infatuation with this guy?'"

Tom Brady Antonio Brown
Tom Brady and Antonio Brown celebrate a touchdown in Week 2 of 2019 against the Dolphins. AP Photo/Lynne Sladky

By Hayden Bird

3 minutes to read

On Sunday, the Patriots lost to Jimmy Garoppolo and the 49ers 33-6 in what was the worst home loss of the Bill Belichick era. Cam Newton threw three interceptions before being benched in favor of Jarrett Stidham, who threw an interception of his own.

Also on Sunday, the Dodgers beat the Rays in Game 5 of the World Series to take a 3-2 lead. Los Angeles has a chance to win the championship on Tuesday in Game 6, with first pitch set for 8:08 p.m.

Matt Cassel’s take on Antonio Brown: In 2019, wide receiver Antonio Brown — one of the most talented players of his era — moved from three different NFL teams’ rosters before he wound up as a free agent following accusations made in a lawsuit from his former trainer that he sexually assaulted her in 2017 and 2018.

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The last of those teams was the Patriots, who signed him on Sept. 7 before cutting him on the 20th. Brown was heavily recruited by Tom Brady, who was still New England’s quarterback at that point.

A year later, with Brady playing for the Buccaneers, the 32-year-old Brown has agreed to sign with Tampa Bay. After he finishes serving his eight-game suspension for violating the league’s personal conduct policy, Brown will be eligible to play alongside Brady and the Buccaneers in Week 9.

Still, particularly given the Buccaneers’ success on offense, many NFL experts are asking if the signing is necessary.

On Sunday, during an appearance on NBC Sports Boston, former Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel put it bluntly.

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“I have to call Tommy and be like, ‘What is your infatuation with this guy?” asked Cassel. “‘He is a terrible human being. Hopefully he gets his stuff together, but thank God the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have you.'”

“You saw Bruce Arians’ comments,” Cassel continued. “[Brown’s] not coming back unless Tom Brady’s there. I know it’s all about winning, and I respect that part, but at the same time, I’m interested to see where this guy fits into the whole.”

Trivia: Yesterday, two undefeated teams met in the regular season in Week 7 or later for the sixth time in the Super Bowl era. One of those occasions involved the Patriots, occurring in this century. Who was their opponent in that matchup of undefeated teams?

(Answer at the bottom)

Hint: The team’s backup quarterback at the time was Jim Sorgi.

More from Boston.com:

The NFL saw a rare case of “scorigami” on Sunday

: Scorigami is when a unique score occurs, as was the case in the Chargers’ 39-29 win over the Jaguars.

Donovan Mitchell had to respect Jaylen Brown’s mixtape:

On this day: In 2018, the longest game in World Series history (in both innings and time) began between the Red Sox and Dodgers. With Boston out to a 2-0 series lead, Los Angeles desperately needed a home win.

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The game ended well into the following morning, when Dodgers infielder Max Muncy hit a walk-off home run. The victory proved the only one of the series for Los Angeles, as Boston went on to win the next two games and the championship.

Daily highlight: In case you haven’t seen it, D.K. Metcalf simply would not let Budda Baker score after intercepting Russell Wilson at the goal line:

Trivia answer: 2007 Colts

Hayden Bird

Sports Staff

Hayden Bird is a sports staff writer for Boston.com, where he has worked since 2016. He covers all things sports in New England.

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