The rumor carousel continues to swell surrounding Antonio Brown.
Not surprisingly, the Patriots were reportedly not thrilled by the fact that AB and agent Drew Rosenhaus failed to disclose the rape allegations against Brown before the wideout signed with the team last week.
Patriots owner Robert Kraft would not have signed off on bringing in AB had he known about the recently surfaced allegations, Ian Rappaport of NFL Media reported Sunday morning, citing a source.
Brown's former trainer, Britney Taylor, claims he sexually assaulted her on three separate occasions, and will reportedly meet with the NFL this week regarding her civil suit against Brown.
ESPN's Jeff Darlington also reported Sunday that Brown was in talks about a settlement with Taylor but allowed the deadline to pass without signing an agreement.
Antonio Brown entered into settlement discussions in April, which included mediation in May, culminating in a deadline last Sunday night to sign a monetary agreement that would end the sexual assault claims against him. He chose not to sign it.
More from Sunday NFL Countdown: pic.twitter.com/ybuPxivyuf— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) September 15, 2019
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The Patriots have a history of avoiding players who have a history of violence against women. The team famously cut former fifth-round pick Christian Peter a week after the 1996 NFL Draft, after learning more information about Peter's criminal record involving inappropriate conduct with women.
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Kraft and his son Jonathan had an on-field meeting with Rosenhaus minutes before Sunday's game in Miami kicked off.
Robert and Jonathan Kraft summit with Antonio Brown's agent, Drew Rosenhaus. pic.twitter.com/z6BDp8bU9C— Tom E. Curran (@tomecurran) September 15, 2019
It's hard to imagine the Patriots front office would be happy with Brown keeping the allegations under wrap, so this story is likely far from over.
Despite the off-field turmoil, he lived up to the hype on the field in his 2019 debut with New England, as AB had four catches for 56 yards and a touchdown in a win over the Dolphins.
