A Simple Apology From Antonio Brown Isn't Nearly Enough to Get Him Back in New England

Somehow, some way, Antonio Brown has forced himself back into the news cycle. After the wider public eye had moved on from the troubled wide receiver in the midst of lawsuits after an unceremonious release at the hands of the New England Patriots, Brown popped back up again with an apology he posted on Instagram and Twitter. This post was "liked" on Instagram by several Patriots, including Tom Brady.

The apology is generally in reference to the "bad media" Brown brought upon the organization with his legal troubles that surfaced shortly after he was signed by the Patriots. The direct apology to Robert Kraft is likely in reference to a since-deleted tweet Brown sent after his release.

An apology over the internet is all well and good, but it won't be enough to get Brown back in a Patriots uniform, despite reports emerging earlier today that the Patriots have "kicked the tires" on re-signing Brown.

It's impossible to know anything for certain about such a large public figure, but Kraft seems like a good enough guy for an NFL owner. He was on board with bringing Brown in back in September after his disastrous stint in Oakland that exhibited all of Brown's worst traits. That was Brown's second chance. And he blew it, then made things much worse by calling out the most embarrassing moment in Kraft's life on Twitter.

The Patriots are an organization that prides itself, perhaps disproportionally so, on keeping controversy to a bare minimum when it comes to their players. They obviously are not perfect about it, but they do everything within their power to avoid inviting trouble into Foxboro, especially after Aaron Hernandez. To sign Brown, who is still tied up with lawsuits and merely two weeks ago tweeted "F--- the NFL", would be the exact opposite of New England's MO.

Yes, the Patriots' offense needs help, and another quality receiver (much less one of Brown's skills) would be a massive boon to a struggling unit. But even the Patriots have a line. Nobody can say for certain, but it sure feels like Brown crossed that line in September. They say time heals all wounds, but not this one in this amount of time.