In January, former Pittsburgh Steelers’ wide receiver Antonio Brown made headlines when an arrest warrant was issued in Florida following an incident with a moving truck company and moving truck driver.
Today Brown’s attorney released a statement (via Tom Pelissero of NFL Media) advising that the free-agent wide receiver pleaded no contest today to three charges related to the incident. That is, he accepted punishment without formally admitting guilt.
Antonio Brown Will Not Face Jail Time
According to ESPN, “Brown will face no jail time, though he will have two years of probation and 100 hours of community service as part of the plea. The free agent wide receiver will also have to undergo a mandatory psych evaluation and attend a 13-week anger management program as part of the plea.”
In his statement, Brown’s attorney, Carson Hancock, said he and his client have always regarded the incident as a “civil dispute” that “resulted from a misunderstanding concerning the payment of costs owed to the moving company.”
But “rather than engage in a protracted legal case, Mr. Brown decided to resolve this matter in an expeditious manner in consideration of his family and his football career. [And] if not for the impediments to Court proceedings created by the Covid-19 restrictions, Mr. Brown’s case would have been disposed of much earlier.”
Antonio Brown Looks Forward to Resuming His Career
As for his football career, earlier today Brown hinted on Instagram that it might not be long before he’s signed by an NFL team, which would be his fourth, following a long tenure with the Steelers and very brief engagements with the Raiders and Patriots.
But as noted by Pelissero, Brown’s legal issues aren’t behind him. “A civil suit filed by Brown’s former trainer, Britney Taylor, who has accused him of sexual assault and rape, continues to move forward,” while “Brown has countersued for defamation.”
Meanwhile, Brown could still face discipline from the NFL, which could delay or prevent a return to the league.
Yet another obstacle is finding a new team willing to take a chance on Brown, who has been seen working out with several different NFL quarterbacks and has been linked to teams like the Seattle Seahawks, Baltimore Ravens and Washington Redskins.
Certainly Brown won’t be returning to Pittsburgh. In an interview with PFT Live in February, Steelers’ general manager Kevin Colbert said: “Antonio Brown will always be a Pittsburgh Steeler in our minds from that personal standpoint. We’ll always be there to support him when he needs help, if he needs help, and that will never change. But as Antonio Brown—84, AB—the football player? No, we’ve moved on from that, and we’re comfortable with that.”
Others who have had first-hand experience with Brown have also said ‘no thanks,’ including Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians, who said, “Yea, it’s not gonna happen. There’s no room. It’s just not gonna happen. It’s not a fit here.”
Follow the Heavy on Steelers Facebook page for the latest breaking news, rumors and content!
READ NEXT: Pro Football Focus Names Steelers’ DB as Team’s Most Underrated Player
Comments
Antonio Brown Pleads No Contest in Florida Case, Looks Forward to Resuming NFL Career: Attorney