The Antonio Brown roller coaster has come to a crashing halt ... for now.
As was first reported by Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network and the Washington Post's Robert Klemko, the former Patriots wide receiver has been suspended eight games. Brown, a free agent, was being investigated by the NFL for sexual assault allegations.
Antonio Brown's eight-game suspension takes effect Week 1, regardless of whether he's on a roster -- and could be extended if further violations are found related to an ongoing civil suit in Florida, per source.So AB is sidelined at least through Week 8, and potentially longer
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) July 31, 2020The allegations put toward Brown came from his former trainer, Britney Taylor, who accused him of three instances of sexual assault in 2017 and 2018. Taylor, who met with NFL investigators in September, was seeking at least $75,000 in damages.
Brown, who was released by the Patriots after playing in just one game, claimed he had a consensual personal relationship with Taylor, denying all allegations.
The wideout claimed he was retiring in a Twitter post on July 20, but later recanted the claim taking to Instagram to not only unretire but demand the NFL complete its investigation of his case.
“I have complied with each and every ask of your investigations throughout the past 11 months. You have had access to all of my phones, you know what the deal is in each and every situation that the media has distorted. I have been seeing the therapist you asked me to, I have worked on all aspects of my life this past year and have become a better man because of it,” Brown wrote in a caption. “The fact that you refuse to provide a deadline and the reason for the fact you won’t resolve your investigations is completely unacceptable. I demand you provide me clarity on this situation immediately if you really care about my well-being.”
A post shared by AB (@ab) on Jul 31, 2020 at 9:09am PDT