Antonio Brown Says He’s Finished With the NFL, Goes After Patriots Owner

Antonio Brown of the New England Patriots at Hard Rock Stadium on Sept. 15, 2019 in Miami, Florida. Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images

Wide receiver Antonio Brown announced he won’t be playing in the NFL any longer after he was released by the New England Patriots amid allegations of sexual misconduct.

He wrote on the morning of Sept. 22: “Will not be playing in the @NFL anymore these owners can cancel deals do whatever they want at anytime we will see if the @NFLPA hold them accountable sad they can just void guarantees anytime going on 40m 2 months will see if they pay up !”

His former team, the New England Patriots, released him after less than two weeks after a physical trainer accused him of sexual assault. Later, another woman accused him of making untoward advances toward her.

“The New England Patriots are releasing Antonio Brown,” the team said in a statement on Sept. 20. “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.”

On Sunday, Brown went after several people, including ex-Pittsburgh Steelers teammate Ben Roethlisberger. He shared on Twitter a screenshot of an article detailing allegations of sexual assault against Roethlisberger, who ultimately was suspended for four games.

Brown said, “4 games for Big Ben crazy world I’m done with it (sic).” He was referring Roethlisberger’s suspension.

While Brown was released from the Patriots and reportedly lost tens of millions of dollars, he wasn’t banned from playing in the NFL.

Meanwhile, he shared on Twitter a screenshot of an article reporting on Shannon Sharpe, the former tight end and sports analyst, saying he would “step aside” in 2010 after a woman accused him of sexual assault. Sharpe currently appears alongside Skip Bayless on Fox Sports 1’s “Undisputed.” A restraining order was filed by the woman against Sharpe before it was ultimately dismissed.

“Shannon Sharp the funny guy on tv still after this (sic),” Brown wrote.

On Sunday, he also went after Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who was charged earlier this year amid a massage parol investigation. Kraft has denied the allegation.

“Kraft got caught in the parlor AB speculations fired different strokes different folks clearly (sic),” he wrote.

Antonio Brown smiles before stretching during NFL football practice in Alameda, Calif., on Aug. 20, 2019. Jeff Chiu/AP Photo

Last week, two people with knowledge of the investigation into Brown being accused of sexual assault told The Associated Press that one of the accusers has met with NFL investigators and that there is no timetable for concluding the probe.

Both people spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Wednesday because of the sensitivity of the case.

A spokesman for the district attorney’s office in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, said: “Our office, along with the Allegheny County Police Department, made contact with counsel for the plaintiff in the federal lawsuit involving Antonio Brown. Procedurally, it appears there is a statute of limitations issue in moving forward with any inquiry involving the Allegheny County allegation mentioned in the lawsuit.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.