NFL Hands Antonio Brown 8-Game Ban
2:58pm: Brown is not expected to appeal this suspension, Pelissero notes (via Twitter). This will shelve him until at least Week 9. However, the civil suit in which he’s currently involved could add more games to the ban.
1:45pm: The NFL has finally revealed the length of Antonio Brown‘s suspension. He will receive an eight-game ban, Robert Klemko of the Washington Post reports (on Twitter). The league has announced the suspension, which stems from “multiple violations” of the personal conduct policy.
This suspension will begin Week 1, whether Brown is on a roster or not, and NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero adds that the acclaimed wide receiver could face additional discipline if further violations are uncovered in a civil suit in Florida (Twitter link). The civil suit is regarding former trainer Britney Taylor’s sexual assault allegations. The next hearing in that case is set for Sept. 15, Pelissero tweets. Brown has backed out of settlement talks in this case multiple times.
So, the finality the four-time All-Pro sought has emerged. But it will severely impact his 2020 status. Should Brown sign with a team before the regular season begins, he would, however, be eligible to practice, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
Brown has backtracked on retirement a few times now; the most recent such occurrence took place last week. The mercurial free agent wanted clarity on an investigation that began almost a year ago. The NFL has investigated Brown for three separate incidents — the Taylor allegations of sexual assault and sexual harassment, an allegation of sexual misconduct by an unnamed artist (and the texts Brown sent regarding this matter), and the wideout’s alleged assault on a deliver driver in January — and a lengthy suspension was expected.
However, the league’s initial punishment does not include the Taylor case. The league is still investigating that matter, Mark Maske of the Washington Post tweets. It will wait until the civil suit’s conclusion before handing down any additional punishment. That could further restrict Brown’s ability to play this season. Even if eight games will be the final number, Brown will have been out of action for more than 13 months by the time he returns.
The former Steelers superstar landed on the All-Decade team and was on a surefire Hall of Fame trajectory going into Week 17 of the 2018 season. Since his Pittsburgh tenure began to unravel after he missed his former team’s final 2018 game, the once-traded, twice-released talent has traversed a historic path of self-destruction. His Raiders stay involved a few high-profile controversies and ended with no games played. The Patriots did deploy Brown in a game but cut him before its Week 3 contest last year. Lamar Jackson, Russell Wilson and Tom Brady have lobbied for their respective teams to sign Brown, but his impact will be limited in 2020.
The NFL’s release mandates Brown continue undergoing counseling and warned him that any future violations of the personal conduct policy would result in a more significant penalty. Given the events of the past 19 months and Brown going into what would be his age-32 season, he is almost out of time to resurrect his career. That said, one of the game’s top pass-catching talents will be available (as of now) to potentially impact the 2020 playoff race.
Ravens Won’t Rule Out Antonio Brown
Maybe Lamar Jackson will get his wish after all. When asked about the possibility of signing Antonio Brown, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh told reporters that he’s willing to “look at any and every player” and Brown is “no exception,” (Twitter link via Aditi Kinkhabwala of NFL Network). Then, in reference to Brown’s murky status with the league office, Harbaugh addressed the obvious.
[RELATED: Ravens’ Jackson Still Pushing For Antonio Brown]
“I don’t think he’s available right now,” said the coach.
Jackson and Marquise Brown (AB’s cousin) would love to welcome Brown to Baltimore. Ditto for Seahawks star quarterback Russell Wilson. The NFL, it seems, is less than interested in bringing the controversial wide receiver back to the game. Brown’s investigation has dragged on for months and the league office has yet to provide his camp with meaningful status updates.
Brown, of course, has given the NFL a whole lot to sift through. Between the ugly allegations, legal entanglements, social media outbursts, retirements, and un-retirements, it’s hard to make sense of his situation.
The 32-year-old has tallied 841 receptions for 11,253 yards over the course of his career, which includes seven Pro Bowl appearances. At this moment, he’s aiming for a return in 2020, despite previous concerns about the health “risk [being] greater than the reward.”
Ravens’ Lamar Jackson Still Pushing For Antonio Brown
After some consideration, the Ravens decided to pass on Antonio Brown earlier this summer. For what it’s worth, Ravens star quarterback Lamar Jackson hasn’t given up hope of bringing AB to Baltimore.
“It was nice throwing to Antonio Brown [this offseason],” Jackson said on Wednesday morning (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley). “I was hoping we would get him. I’m still hoping — a little bit.”
Brown’s talent is undeniable, but the complications that come along with him are impossible to ignore. Just recently, Brown announced his retirement from the NFL, only to reverse course three days later. Brown – who now says he’s ready to play – has called it quits at least three times since September of last year.
Jackson lobbied hard for Brown following their offseason workouts. Antonio’s cousin, Marquise Brown, agrees, and he would like to make it a family affair. Still, the four-time All-Pro and would-be future Hall of Famer remains in limbo with Roger Goodell. Even if the Ravens wanted to ignite a media circus and risk the potential headaches, they would not be able to bank on Brown’s early season availability. When the NFL finally rules on Brown’s situation, it stands to reason that he’ll face a suspension.
The Ravens have Hollywood and Willie Snead, but the run game is their bread-and-butter. One could argue that they don’t need Brown. At the same time, it’s hard to imagine anyone being able to keep a lid on their offense with a productive Brown in the lineup.
The Seahawks have also been connected to Brown, and Russell Wilson has advocated for him. Still, it’s not clear if the Seahawks are entertaining the possibility.
Antonio Brown Unretires (Again)
While it should not have been expected Antonio Brown‘s latest abrupt retirement announcement would be final, the headline-generating free agent changed his mind barely two days later. He indeed wants to play again and is calling on the NFL to help him do so.
Earlier this week, Brown re-retired, appearing to cite COVID-19 concerns. But he now wants answers from the NFL regarding its lengthy investigation into his off-field conduct. The 32-year-old wide receiver indicated he has complied with the NFL’s requests — including turning over his phones and seeing a therapist the league, per Brown, requested — and wants the investigation over so he can speak to teams about resuming his career (Twitter link).
Brown’s latest non-retirement retirement came after he backed out of settlement talks with Britney Taylor, with Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweeting Brown threatened to retire the last time he and Taylor could not agree on a settlement. Taylor has accused Brown of sexual assault. This is one of three main components of the NFL’s investigation into Brown. He was hit with three charges involving an alleged assault on a delivery driver in January, which came after a report of a separate alleged sexual misconduct incident led to his release from the Patriots last year.
While Brown has been loosely connected to the Seahawks, Ravens and Buccaneers this offseason, the investigation and likely suspension set to emerge from it has stalled his chances of returning to the league. But he has again made clear (sort of) he wants to play again.
Antonio Brown Retires (Again)
Stop us if you’ve heard this one before. On Monday, Antonio Brown announces his retirement from the NFL. This marks at least the third time Brown has publicly called it quits since September of last year. 
[RELATED: Patriots, AB Settle Grievance]
“At this point, the risk is greater than the reward,” Brown tweeted. “Thank you [to] everyone who [has] been a part of this journey. I sincerely thank you for everything!”
Brown, of course, isn’t the only player who is concerned about the risk involved with playing this season. Still, it remains to be seen whether his latest farewell will stick. Less than three weeks ago, Brown was lobbying the Seahawks to pair him with friend and workout partner Russell Wilson. There were also rumblings of AB and Tom Brady getting together in Tampa Bay, but the Buccaneers weren’t interested in the drama that comes with the controversial wide receiver.
Brown, 32, remains under NFL investigation for multiple incidents, including two alleged acts of sexual misconduct. His own safety concerns aside, there was little guarantee that a team would take on the risk of signing him. Brown’s availability for the coming year was also highly questionable.
If this is truly a wrap for Brown, he leaves the game with a complicated legacy. Over the course of his ten-year career, Brown tallied 841 receptions for 11,253 yards and seven Pro Bowl appearances. Before things turned ugly, Brown was a surefire Hall of Famer and regarded as one of the game’s most dangerous offensive talents. Now, (we think), he’ll focus on other endeavors, while untangling some of his off-the-field matters.
Patriots Open Cap Space After Settling Grievances
The Patriots have opened up a chunk of cap space after settling compensation grievances concerning a pair of former players. ESPN’s Mike Reiss (via Twitter) and Field Yates report that settlements regarding Antonio Brown ($4MM) and Aaron Hernandez ($2.55MM) have opened up around $6.5MM in cap space.
Brown filed a grievance against the Patriots back in September after the team refused to pay him a $10MM signing bonus following his release. New England was also left with $4.5MM in dead money from the Brown debacle.
While Hernandez was released by the Patriots seven years ago, the NFL Players Association was still fighting on the behalf of his estate regarding a $3.25MM guaranteed signing bonus that was previously withheld by the team. Following Hernandez’s arrest (and prior to his eventual conviction for first-degree murder), the player gave up $19.3MM in non-guaranteed money while the organization voided the rest of his guaranteed money. The team also looked to recoup some of the bonus money that had already been paid out.
As Yates notes on Twitter, the Patriots started the week with less than $500K in cap space. Following today’s news and the Rex Burkhead restructuring from earlier this week, New England now has close to $7.8MM in space.
As Sports Illustrated’s Devon Clements pointed out back in February, the Patriots also had a pair of active grievances with defensive lineman David Parry ($179K) and offensive lineman Cole Croston ($163K). The status of those grievances hasn’t been reported.
Antonio Brown Interested In Seahawks Deal
Russell Wilson has lobbied for the Seahawks to sign Antonio Brown, and the free agent wide receiver would not mind resuming his career in Seattle.
The duo worked out together this week, and Mike Garafolo of NFL.com reports Brown would love to play for the Seahawks (video link). Additionally, the Seahawks have engaged in internal discussions about signing Brown, per Garafolo. They are now the team most closely connected to the former perennial All-Pro.
Other teams are interested as well, per Garafolo, though it is not certain who those franchises are at this point. The team that signs Brown would need to prepare for a suspension. The NFL’s investigation into the wide receiver’s off-field issues is ongoing.
The Seahawks signed Phillip Dorsett this offseason, and he would seemingly enter camp with a good chance of winning the team’s No. 3 wideout job behind Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf. A Brown signing would shake up the Seahawks’ passing attack. The former Steelers superstar earned first-team All-Pro acclaim in four straight seasons and scored 15 touchdowns in 2018, the year his All-Pro streak ceased. Brown’s actions since Week 17 of the 2018 season have made him one of the most volatile players in modern NFL history, with the soon-to-be 32-year-old receiver burning bridges at will.
Other than the three teams that employed Brown last year, the Saints were the other known suitor. They worked Brown out late last season, but even that produced controversy. Tom Brady‘s interest in having Brown play with him in Tampa Bay is well known, but the Buccaneers are not believed to be interested. Brown has been quieter on social media in recent months, and it is starting to look like he will be given a chance to return to the league at some point this season.
Buccaneers Remain Out On Antonio Brown?
Some Antonio Brown-to-Tampa Bay rumblings resurfaced Tuesday morning, but Bruce Arians‘ March stance on his former charge may still stand.
The Buccaneers remain uninterested in adding the former perennial All-Pro wideout, Dianna Russini of ESPN.com tweets. With Tampa Bay arming for an all-in window behind Tom Brady for two years, Brown would certainly make sense from a football perspective and give the Bucs a historically loaded pass-catching corps.
The move would be risky, though, and Arians said months ago the team would not pursue Brown. Despite Arians having coached Brown in Pittsburgh, he is not interested in a reunion. Nothing has changed on this front, Greg Auman of The Athletic tweets.
Brown remains under NFL investigation for multiple incidents — including two alleged acts of sexual misconduct — and is expected to face a suspension this season. Given the superstar receiver’s volatile run over the past 1 1/2 years, teams will be hesitant to give him another chance immediately. But Brown’s talent points to him receiving at least one more opportunity at some point.
The soon-to-be 32-year-old weapon has been linked to the Ravens and Seahawks, though Baltimore is believed to also be uninterested in adding Brown to its pass-catching stable. Russell Wilson is believed to have lobbied for the mercurial talent at multiple junctures.
The Bucs already employ Pro Bowlers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, and scant precedent exists for a tight end trio as deep as Tampa’s Rob Gronkowski–O.J. Howard–Cameron Brate group. But Brady was believed to be against the Patriots cutting Brown last year and has been rumored to support the Bucs bringing him in. For now, however, that does not appear to be a front-burner matter for the team.
Buccaneers Open To Antonio Brown?
In March, we heard that new Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady wants to reunite with Antonio Brown. Meanwhile, Bucs head coach Bruce Arians said that a Brown signing is “not going to happen.” Here in June, the Bucs are starting to open up to the idea of adding AB, according to Michael Lombardi of The Athletic (Twitter link via Barstool Sports’ Pat McAfee).
[RELATED: Bucs’ Shaq Barrett Will Sign By July 15]
From a football perspective, it would be a huge win for the Buccaneers. With Brown, Mike Evans, and Chris Godwin at wide receiver, they’d be impossible to guard for opposing defenses.
“Yeah, it’s not going to happen,” Arians said earlier this year. “It’s just not going to happen. There’s no room and probably not enough money. But it’s just not going to happen. It’s not a fit here.”
When pressed on whether he’d consider Brown on a minimum salary deal, Arians again demurred.
“No. I just know him and it’s not a fit in our locker room.”
Brown’s status with the league office remains under review, so it’s not a given that he’ll be cleared to play in 2020. Beyond that, there’s the matter of Brown’s fit in the locker room, as Arians noted. Even before all of the ugly accusations and disturbing social media videos, Brown clashed with coaches and teammates in Pittsburgh and Oakland.
Brady, meanwhile, is likely rooting for a change of heart in the front office.
Antonio Brown Off Ravens’ Radar?
After an unusually quiet Antonio Brown stretch, the high-profile free agent has begun to resurface. He expects to learn his NFL suspension outcome soon and have a new team, and the Seahawks and Ravens have been linked to the mercurial superstar.
A report Tuesday indicated the Ravens were engaging in internal discussions on the ex-Steeler standout, but veteran NFL reporter Josina Anderson tweets that is not the case. The Ravens are not earnestly considering Brown, Anderson adds.
Antonio’s cousin, Marquise Brown, resides as Baltimore’s No. 1 wide receiver. But the team is still fairly light on wideout depth. However, that may be partially by design, with the Ravens operating the NFL’s run-heaviest attack. Hollywood Brown and Willie Snead are the defending AFC North champions’ best-known wideouts. Antonio Brown may not be an especially content performer in Baltimore’s offense, and Brown has certainly been known to voice frustration over the past year and change.
Lamar Jackson would be in favor of his team taking a gamble on Antonio Brown. The two worked out together earlier this offseason. But the four-time All-Pro will almost certainly begin the season with a suspension due to the off-field trouble in which he’s been involved. The Ravens may well end up sticking with their status quo.
The Seahawks have been the other team connected to Brown recently, and Russell Wilson has long made his pro-Brown-to-Seattle view known. For now, though, the soon-to-be 32-year-old wideout remains unattached — as he’s been since the Patriots released him after his first wave of off-field issues surfaced last September.