MIAMI, FLORIDA – SEPTEMBER 15: Antonio Brown #17 of the New England Patriots in action against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on September 15, 2019 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)
Wide receiver Antonio Brown is released by the New England Patriots amid a series of allegations.
Antonio Brown’s time with the New England Patriots did not last long.
On Friday, the Patriots announced that they were releasing the superstar wide receiver after just 11 days on the team. After Brown was released from the Oakland Raiders ahead of the start of the regular season, the Patriots signed him just before their season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He made his one and only appearance for New England against the Miami Dolphins in Week 2, where he had four receptions for 56 yards and a touchdown.
Brown’s release comes amid a series of sexual assault and misconduct allegations. On Sept. 10, Brown’s former trainer, Britney Taylor, filed a civil lawsuit against Brown alleging three counts of sexual assault, including one rape incident in 2018. After the lawsuit was filed, a female artist came forward with claims of sexual misconduct when she was working at his home in Western Pennsylvania in 2017. The sexual misconduct claim came amidst a larger complaint involving Brown, a charity auction theft, and multiple unpaid debts.
Before joining the Patriots — and before these accusations were made — Brown had problems with the Oakland Raiders, who had acquired Brown in a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He had a series of issues in the offseason and was released ahead of the team’s home opener after he complained about being fined for missing practices.
As for the Patriots, while Brown was certainly a boost to their offense, the reigning Super Bowl champions should be fine without him. At the wide receiver position, they have Julian Edelman, Josh Gordon, Phillip Dorset, Jakobi Meyers, and Gunner Olszewki. The team put up a combined total of 76 points in their first two games.