Former New England Patriots wide receiver Antonio Brown has said he will not play in the NFL again.
The free agent, who was released by the Patriots after just one game on Friday, is the subject of multiple investigations amid allegations of sexual assault and sending intimidating text messages.
“Will not be playing in the @NFL anymore these owners can cancel deals do whatever they want at anytime, “said Brown, who was also released by the Oakland Raiders earlier this month.
Brown, 31, is due to be paid $ 5m (£ 4m) of his $ 9m (£ 7.3m) Patriots signing bonus on Monday, but NFL.comreportsthe franchise is unlikely to pay up.
Similarly, the Raidersreportedlyvoided the nearly $ 30 M (£ 24 m) guaranteed in Brown’s contract after fining him for misconduct and releasing him on the eve of the new season.
Although Brown is currently a free agent and therefore not suspended by the NFL, the league has said that were a team to sign him and “depending on the status of the investigation “, he might be blocked from playing by being placed on the commissioner’s exempt list.
(According to ESPN,the expectation is no team will take a chance on signing him until the league’s investigation is concluded.
Brownwas accused of rapeby his former personal trainer earlier this month, an accusation he denies.
Britney Taylor, who decided to forgo anonymity, said Brown sexually assaulted her on three occasions, according to a civil lawsuit she filed.
On Thursday, American magazineSports Illustrated reportedthat a female artist who had previously accused Brown of unw anted sexual advances – again denied by Brown – contacted the NFL to claim he had sent her “intimidating and threatening” texts.
Brownsigned a one-year dealwith the Patriots on 7 September worth a reported £ 12 .2m ($ 15 m). He scored a touchdown in his only appearance for them against the Miami Dolphins last Sunday.
He had previously beenreleased by the Oakland Raidersjust hours before joining the Patriots.
He had been fined the previous day following a confrontation with Raiders general manager Mike Mayock and departed having never played a competitive game for the franchise.
He became one of the NFL’s highest-paid wide receivers when he joined Oakland from the Pittsburgh Steelers in March, signing a three-year deal worth more than $ M (£) m) per season.
Brown has been one of the league’s top wide receivers since being drafted by the Steelers in 2010, having recorded over 1, 000 receiving yards in each of the past six se asons and seven of his nine years in the league.
He has also reached double figures for touchdowns on four occasions and has career regular-season totals of 841 catches for 11, 263 yards and 75 Touchdowns.
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