Antonio Brown tweeted Sunday that he would not be playing in the NFL anymore. His agent isn't so sure.
Drew Rosenhaus, speaking on Warren Sapp's "99 Problems" podcast, said, "I believe that Antonio wants to continue his career in the NFL.
"I have had discussions with a few teams that are very interested in him and want to know about his future and what's going on with the NFL," Rosenhaus said on the podcast, posted on Wednesday. "Hopefully, when that is all resolved, Antonio will be able to continue his Hall of Fame career."
Brown, who has been accused of sexual assault and sexual misconduct by two different women, was released by the New England Patriots on Friday, making him an unrestricted free agent, eligible to sign with any team. The NFL is conducting an investigation into the allegations.
"It's a very difficult time for him, not playing," Rosenhaus said of the seven-time Pro Bowl wide receiver. "We expected him to be playing against the Jets on Sunday, so it's tough for someone who loves the game not to be playing right now, and the hope is that we'll cooperate with the NFL in its investigation and get him back with a team to continue this tremendous career he's had."
On Saturday, Rosenhaus told ESPN's Adam Schefter about his communication with interested teams, but Sunday's tweet -- in which Brown said he was done with the NFL and expressed frustration at lost money from both the Patriots and Oakland Raiders -- cast more doubt on whether he will continue to play.
Rosenhaus still believes the wide receiver has an NFL future.
"It's my hope, it's Antonio's hope, that he'll be back playing as soon as possible," Rosenhaus said.
Brown announced on social media on Monday that he was reenrolling at Central Michigan, which he attended for three years before leaving for the NFL. Rosenhaus said that did not mean Brown had given up on playing in the league.
"I know there's been a lot of speculation as to whether or not that means he's not going to proceed with the NFL," the agent said, "but taking online college courses to get your degree or your post-graduate degree is something that I would recommend to every client. ... I wouldn't read too much into that."
Brown, 31, has been accused of sexually assaulting his former trainer, Britney Taylor, according to a civil lawsuit she filed on Sept. 10. In addition to that lawsuit, Brown faces an allegation of sexual misconduct by a female artist who was working at his Western Pennsylvania home in 2017.
The NFL said its investigation is "ongoing and will be pursued vigorously and expeditiously," despite Brown's release from the Patriots.
Because Brown is currently a free agent, placing him on the commissioner's list "is not appropriate," the league said Friday. If he signs with another team, the league said, "such placement may become appropriate at any time depending on the status of the investigation."
Brown agreed to a one-year deal with the Patriots worth up to $15 million, with a $9 million signing bonus, on Sept. 7. He played one game before being released. Earlier, the Raiders released Brown before he even played a game with them, ending a tumultuous stint with that team.
No comments :
Post a Comment