Was Antonio Brown's implosion as a member of the Oakland Raiders this offseason all an act so he could indirectly force his way to the New England Patriots?

Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice seems to think so.

Speaking on 95.7 The Game on Monday, Rice said he thinks Brown's blowup in the Bay was all by design:

“He was a Denzel Washington and he won the Oscar,” Rice said, via TMZ. “He won an Oscar, guys. I'm going to be honest with you. Because he had all of us sold. Then all of a sudden, you started to get all of this drama, what was happening with the Raiders.”Brown requested his release from the Raiders on Instagram late last week and then instantly signed with the Patriots.

“He was a Denzel all the way and he pulled it off,” said Rice. “He really did.”

Rice isn't the first person to say that this was no coincidence, and he certainly won't be the last.

Back when Brown demanded a trade from the Pittsburgh Steelers at the conclusion of the 2018 campaign, New England offered a first-round pick to Pittsburgh in exchange for the seven-time Pro Bowler. The Steelers declined, opting to send him to the Raiders for a third-rounder and a fifth-rounder instead.

Brown's short tenure in Oakland was nothing short of catastrophic.

The 31-year-old missed most of training camp due to frostbite on his feet and a seemingly never-ending battle with the NFL over the usage of his now-banned helmet.

He was then hit with a $54,000 fine by the Raiders for not showing up to a couple of practices. Displeased over the penalty, Brown posted a photo of the Raiders' fine letter on Instagram.

Brown then had a heated confrontation with general manager Mike Mayock last Wednesday, resulting in Brown eventually asking for his release after Oakland voided his guaranteed money.