The Patriots wanted Antonio Brown.
And now they’re getting everything that comes with Antonio Brown — so much trouble at every turn that the Steelers and Raiders decided an All-Pro wide receiver was no longer worth it.
Tuesday’s news about Brown’s former trainer suing him for rape and sexual assault obviously dwarfs all of his other dysfunctional nonsense from this summer.
The frozen feet, helmet debacle and shouting match with Raiders general manager Mike Mayock, plus whatever that absurd, self-absorbed video of him celebrating his release from Oakland was ... none of it matters now. Because Brown has gone from jester heel to accused rapist. (He denies all allegations in the woman’s lawsuit.)
And while the Patriots surely couldn’t have known Brown was about to be hit with this suit, they did know what kind of volatile player (and person) they were acquiring when they agreed to sign him Saturday, shortly after the Raiders released him. Now, the Patriots are getting exactly the trouble they signed up for as they try to win a second straight Super Bowl.
It’s unclear how the NFL will now handle Brown in the wake of the lawsuit. Could he be placed on the commissioner’s exempt list, as the league conducts its investigation and the suit works its way through Florida courts? That’s not a lock, because this isn’t a criminal case. Brown has not been charged with a crime. He has only been sued by his former trainer.
Only NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has the authority to place a player on the exempt list (thus, its name). Earlier this summer, Giants safety Kamrin Moore was placed on the list, after being charged with beating up a woman. (The case was later dropped.)
But Brown’s situation, with a lawsuit, is different. And suits can take much longer to proceed through the legal system than a criminal case, particularly if the case is dismissed. How long, then, is Goodell willing to wait before he makes a decision on Brown, who is set to make his Patriots debut Sunday in Miami?
It’s unclear, too, what incriminating evidence can be presented against Brown, who acknowledged a sexual relationship with the woman, but said all encounters were consensual.
As the NFL investigates this, it has no accompanying criminal case upon which to rely. Brown’s former trainer said in her lawsuit she would cooperate with any NFL or legal investigation. And remember, Goodell does not have to base his suspension decision on the outcome of a criminal case — or even if there was a criminal case at all.
The Patriots were counting on Brown helping them repeat. They just traded Demaryius Thomas to the Jets. Even if Thomas stuck around, Brown is a much better receiver anyway. Quarterback Tom Brady’s trio of Brown, Josh Gordon, and Julian Edelman look like a prolific group, as the Patriots aim for their record-setting seventh championship.
But here’s the thing: Even though the Patriots are getting what they signed up for with Brown, they can very easily live without him, if they decide to ditch him.
New England just beat the Steelers 33-3 on Sunday night without Brown. Until late last week, the Patriots weren’t even factoring him into their 2019 plans. He was just a (supremely talented) bonus, after he temper-tantrum’d his way out of Oakland.
The Patriots didn’t invest all that much in Brown, giving him a one-year contract with a maximum value of $15 million (if he hits all incentives). They handed Brown $10 million guaranteed, including a $9 million signing bonus.
But teams can always recoup guaranteed money if they release a player embroiled in a serious legal situation. However Brown’s rape and sexual assault lawsuit turns out, it isn’t going away any time soon.
Trouble at every turn, across the country and back, from Pittsburgh to Oakland to New England.
New place.
Same Antonio Brown.
Darryl Slater may be reached at dslater@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @DarrylSlater. Find NJ.com Jets on Facebook.
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