Regardless of the Patriots’ decision to cut Antonio Brown, the NFL still has jurisdiction over multiple incidents that potentially violate the Personal Conduct Policy. As to one of those incidents, the NFL has issued a directive to Brown that sheds light on whether and to what extent the league is taking the situation seriously.
The lawyers who represent the second accuser issued a statement on Friday afternoon explaining that Brown had been advised to “have no further contact with our client, either directly or through his associates,” and that the NFL “also advised us that it contacted Mr. Brown’s representative and reiterated that Mr. Brown was to cease and desist efforts to contact or intimidate our client.”
The accuser’s lawyers explained in the statement, issued before the Patriots released Brown, that they had a “productive conversation” with NFL officials on Friday morning, and that the league has “given us every indication that they take this matter very seriously.”
“We thank them for moving swiftly and decisively,” the accuser’s lawyers said in the statement. “The NFL has pledged to conduct a thorough investigation under its Personal Conduct Policy. We will cooperate fully with the NFL in this investigation to ensure that the threats and intimidation against our client cease, and that she and her family remain safe.”
A second statement was issued after the Patriots released Brown.
“The NFL and the Patriots clearly took our client’s concerns seriously,” the lawyers said. “She wanted the threats and intimidation to stop and we hope that will be case. The NFL has assured us that regardless of Antonio Brown’s roster status, it will continue to investigate all claims regarding his behavior. We are gratified that the NFL recognized that it has an important role to play in policing player conduct that is sexually harassing and threatening.”
Brown has in many ways been his own worst enemy in recent weeks, poisoning relationships and behaving badly and running his tally for former NFL teams in 2019 to three.