Patriots release Antonio Brown after another accusation

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Antonio Brown was released by the Patriots
on Friday after a second woman accused him of sexual misconduct. New
England is the third team in seven months to tire of the off-field
behavior that has overshadowed his accomplishments as one of the NFL’s
most prolific receivers for a decade.

The defending Super Bowl
champions announced the move in a statement emailed to reporters, three
minutes after Brown posted on Twitter: “Thank you for the opportunity
@Patriots #GoWinIt.”

Brown has been accused of rape in a lawsuit
by a former trainer. He also faces allegations that he exposed himself
to an artist he hired to paint a mural at his home. Brown has denied the
accusations.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom
Brady both declined to comment on Brown during their scheduled media
availability Friday. Belichick said during the morning that the team was
looking into “some things,” then cut off his news conference when
reporters continued to ask about Brown.

Asked if he expected Brown to play in Sunday’s game against the New York Jets, Belichick said, “He’s on the roster.”

About five hours later, he wasn’t.

In
the email attributed to “a Patriots spokesperson,” the team said: “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.”

According
to a story in Sports Illustrated, the painter “received a group text
message that appeared to come from the same phone number Brown provided
to her in 2017. The text chain, with four other phone numbers on it,
included photos of her and her children, with the person she believes is
Brown encouraging others in the group to investigate the woman. The
texter accused the artist of fabricating her account of the 2017
incident for cash.”

Lawyers for the artist said in a statement that the league and the Patriots “took our client’s concerns seriously.”

“She
wanted the threats and intimidation to stop and we hope that will be
case,” said a statement emailed to reporters from attorneys Lisa Banks
and Debra Katz. “The NFL has assured us that regardless of Antonio
Brown’s roster status, it will continue to investigate all claims
regarding his behavior.”

Earlier this week, Nike cut ties with the receiver, saying in an email, “Antonio Brown is not a Nike athlete.”

A
four-time All-Pro who caught 837 passes over nine seasons with the
Steelers, Brown wore out his welcome in Pittsburgh after he went missing
for two days before the 2018 season finale. The Steelers traded him to
Oakland, which signed him to a contract that would have paid him up to
$50 million over the next three seasons.

But he never played a
game for the Raiders, quarreling with the coach and general manager
until they, too, released him. The Patriots signed him only a few hours
later, giving him a one-year deal that would have guaranteed him $9
million and paid him up to $15 million this season.

Brown’s teammates said Friday they are trying to concentrate on the game, and Brown appeared to be doing the same.

“He
seems pretty focused to me,” receiver Julian Edelman said. “He’s a
professional. You don’t get to be a player like him by tiddlywinking
around.”