After the Buccaneers signed receiver Antonio Brown, Saints defensive end Cam Jordan said regarding a then-looming Week Nine game against Brown and the Buccaneers, “First he has to make it Week Nine.”
Now, Brown has to make it to Week 11.
David Ovalle of the Miami Herald reports that, on October 15, Brown allegedly destroyed a surveillance camera and threw his bicycle at a security-guard shack in his Hollywood, Florida gated community. Police determined that probable cause existed to charge Brown with misdemeanor criminal mischief, but the president of the homeowners’ association declined to press charges. According to the police report, she was concerned that Brown “may retaliate against her employees.”
Brown signed with the Buccaneers roughly two weeks later.
“We are aware of the reported incident involving Antonio Brown prior to his signing,” the Buccaneers said in a statement issued to PFT. “When Antonio joined us, we were clear about what we expected and required of him. Thus far, he has met all the expectations we have in place.”
This strongly implies that no action will be taken by the team. It remains to be seen whether the team asked Brown if there were any other incidents about which they didn’t know before signing him, whether he told them about this incident, or whether he concealed it, if asked.
The NFL separately said it is aware of the incident, but the league declined comment. Brown’s status as a repeat offender under the Personal Conduct Policy could prompt further action to be taken. He recently served an eight-game suspension for multiple prior violations.
Then there’s the fact that Brown remains on probation for felony charges arising from a January dispute with the driver of a moving truck. The authorities could attempt to revoke his probation and put him behind bars if this incident reflects a failure to comply with the clear and plain terms of the arrangement that allows someone who otherwise would be in prison to not be in prison.
A spokesperson for Brown did not deny the allegations, telling Ovalle merely that she has been “assisting Mr. Brown for several months to resolve certain minor disputes with the housing authority.”
It remains to be seen whether this minor dispute becomes a major problem for Brown. For now, it appears that the team won’t be cutting or otherwise punishing him for it. The league, and the authorities, may take a different approach.