Advertisement

Antonio Brown announces he's done with NFL; calls out Roethlisberger, Kraft

By Connor Grott
Former New England Patriots wide receiver Antonio Brown was released by the Patriots on Friday. Photo by Rhona Wise/EPA-EFE
Former New England Patriots wide receiver Antonio Brown was released by the Patriots on Friday. Photo by Rhona Wise/EPA-EFE

Sept. 22 (UPI) -- Former New England Patriots wide receiver Antonio Brown announced he won't play in the NFL anymore and took parting shots at Patriots owner Robert Kraft and Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

In a series of tweets Sunday morning, Brown started by saying, "Owners can cancel deals [and] do whatever they want at anytime." He also encouraged the NFL Players Association to take action after the Oakland Raiders and Patriots voided his guaranteed money.

Advertisement

League sources told ESPN the Raiders' guaranteed money was voided after the franchise fined him for conduct detrimental to the team before his release Sept. 7. According to ESPN, the Patriots are planning to withhold Brown's signing bonus based on a representation warranty clause.

Advertisement

In other since-deleted tweets, Brown called out Kraft and Roethlisberger for previous incidents. The wideout referred to Kraft's ongoing case in Florida in which he was charged with solicitation for allegedly receiving a sex act at a massage parlor and Roethlisberger's four-game suspension in 2010 for a violation of the NFL's personal conduct policy following a sexual assault accusation.

The Patriots released Brown on Friday, less than two weeks after signing him. In a statement released by the team, New England said it was "best to move in a different direction."

In a civil lawsuit filed last week in the Southern District of Florida, Brown's former trainer, Britney Taylor, accused him of sexual assault on three separate occasions. Brown has denied the allegations.

Taylor's lawsuit says two of the incidents occurred in June 2017 and another in May 2018. One of the alleged 2017 incidents occurred in Pittsburgh, where Brown played for the Steelers for nine seasons. The other allegations, which included rape, took place in Florida.

Advertisement

The NFL is investigating the matter and interviewed Taylor for about 10 hours Monday, according to CBS Boston. It remains unclear when or if Brown will interview with the league.

In addition to the civil lawsuit, Brown faces another allegation of sexual misconduct by an unnamed female artist who was working at his Pennsylvania home in 2017. The allegation was part of a Sports Illustrated report that detailed domestic incidents involving Brown, along with multiple unpaid debts and a charity auction theft.

League sources told Sports Illustrated the lawyer for the artist recently reached out to the NFL after Brown allegedly sent threatening text messages to her client. Both sides talked Friday morning, with the unnamed artist's attorney saying in a statement that the league "pledged to conduct a thorough investigation under its personal conduct policy."

Brown, 31, made his debut for the Patriots on Sept. 15 against the Miami Dolphins, catching four passes for 56 yards and a touchdown.

He joined New England on Sept. 9 after being released by the Raiders, who originally acquired him from the Steelers in an off-season trade.

Latest Headlines