Patriots drop scandal-plagued wide receiver Antonio Brown

NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown has been released by the New England Patriots after playing just one game with the franchise, as the scandal-plagued star battles sexual assault allegations in his latest episode.

What are the details?

On Friday, Brown broke the news of his departure from the Patriots on social media, posting on Twitter, "Thanks for the opportunity appreciate @Patriots."

Shortly thereafter, the team confirmed their release of the seven-time pro-bowler, issuing an official statement saying, "The New England Patriots are releasing Antonio Brown. We appreciate the hard work of many people over the past 11 days, but we feel that it is best to move in a different direction at this time."

The Patriots did not give a reason for Brown's release, but the wide receiver is in the midst of two separate sexual misconduct allegations. Yahoo Sports reported that on Sept. 10 — a day after joining the Patriots — Brown was sued by his former personal trainer, who accuses Brown of forcibly raping her.

Sports Illustrated reported Thursday night that a second woman has come forward accusing Brown of making sexual advances toward her. Brown has denied all of the allegations against him.

Just a day before the Patriots let him go, Nike ended its relationship with the controversial athlete.

Brown joined the defending Super Bowl champions after a brief stint with the Oakland Raiders, where he had a number of dramatic public spats with leadership — including reportedly calling the general manager a "cracker."

Prior to joining the Raiders, Brown was with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The wide receiver has been in an ongoing battle with the NFL over their insistence that he wear a safer helmet.

Anything else?

Despite the ongoing controversies, Brown's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, wrote on Twitter, "It's unfortunate things didn't work out with the Patriots. But Antonio is healthy and is looking forward to his next opportunity in the NFL. He wants to play the game he lvoes and he hopes to play for another team soon."

According to Bleacher Report's assessment, "Brown could still draw interest in the open market after being named first-team All-Pro four times and leading the NFL in touchdowns last year, but the number of potential suitors has likely dwindled over the past few weeks."