NFL
Antonio Brown Suffers Potentially Expensive Setback in Civil Rape Case
Stephen Sheehan began his sportswriting career as a high school student covering sports for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel through a student outreach program. He wrote for Bleacher Report and Fan Rag Sports and worked full-time for Sportscasting in 2020 and 2021. Stephen specializes in covering the NFL, particularly the New England Patriots. Stephen is inspired by the stories sports can tell, from money to tragedies to breaking news; there are so many different ways to cover the industry. He monitors Twitter and various websites every day to find stories to tell in unique ways. Stephen was a 2008 Culpepper Journalism Foundation Fellowship winner, received a bachelor's degree in journalism in 2013 and a master's in sports management in 2015 from the University of Florida, and is an active rugby player and former rugby and football coach.
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As Antonio Brown attempts to resurrect his NFL career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he must also deal with the legal system. The 32-year-old recently suffered a potentially expensive setback in his civil rape case.
And based on the allegations made against Brown, it’s fair to wonder whether the Buccaneers will regret bringing in a player with a long list of red flags.
Antonio Brown’s NFL return has shifted the attention away from his legal troubles
RELATED: Bruce Arians Just Sent a Clear Message About Antonio Brown’s Future With the Buccaneers
Antonio Brown seemed to have landed in an ideal spot when he signed with the New England Patriots last fall. Yet, after just one game, the team cut him when allegations of sexual assault emerged.
Following his release, Brown still managed to dominate the headlines for months due in large part to his legal and personal troubles. Ultimately, the NFL suspended the former Pittsburgh Steelers star for eight games for multiple violations of the league’s personal-conduct policy.
But after spending months on the free-agent market, Brown finally completed his comeback by signing a one-year deal with the Buccaneers. As a result, all the attention has centered on what he can do on the field rather than what he’s done off of it.
Tom Brady’s newest weapon recorded three catches for 31 yards in Tampa’s embarrassing 38-3 loss to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday Night Football.
Brown suffers a potentially expensive setback in civil rape case
RELATED: Antonio Brown Cost Himself $200,000 in Latest Legal Battle
Antonio Brown may have taken a step forward in terms of his NFL career, but he took a step backward in his ongoing civil rape case on Tuesday.
According to Pro Football Talk, Brown’s accuser, Britney Taylor, and her lawyers filed a motion for permission to amend her civil complaint “to assert a claim for punitive damages against Brown.”
In addition to the nine-page document explaining the basis for amending the complaint, Tuesday’s court filing also included a three-page affidavit from Taylor in which she alleges that Brown raped her in May 2018. She also claims that Brown committed another sexually-explicit act without her knowledge or consent on June 25, 2017.
While the amount of damages Taylor seeks has not been made clear, her legal team certainly sent a strong message with its latest move.
Ultimately, Brown will have to let the legal process play out. But this latest setback only puts more scrutiny on the Buccaneers for signing a player with so many off-field concerns.
Will Tampa regret signing AB?
RELATED: Antonio Brown Has 2.5 Million Reasons to Avoid Trouble in Tampa
Tom Brady got his wish when the Buccaneers signed Antonio Brown. But will the legendary quarterback regret putting his full-fledged support behind someone with so many issues off the field?
From a football standpoint, there’s no doubt that AB should be playing on Sundays. Even though he’s on the wrong side of 30, he still has the physical ability to dominate on any given day.
Yet, it’s totally fair to question whether Tampa made a mistake in bringing in Brown. If he does not get featured heavily in the offense, will the seven-time Pro Bowler become a problem in the locker room? Will his presence have a negative effect on some of the Bucs’ young receivers? Can he even stay out of trouble for the next few months and just focus on football?
Based on how the last year or so has gone, it seems highly unlikely that Brown will be able to avoid drama in Tampa.
Perhaps he’ll surprise us all and stay out of the spotlight as the season continues.
But don’t be shocked if the enigmatic receiver finds himself in the headlines again for all the wrong reasons.
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