Antonio Brown interested in NFL return despite Twitter rant says agent Rosenhaus
Embattled NFL star Antonio Brown is still interested in a return to the field despite claiming in a recent social media rant that he was done with the league, according to agent Drew Rosenhaus.
Brown has been a free agent since Sept. 20, when the New England Patriots released him amid an NFL investigation into multiple allegations of sexual assault against the All-Pro wide receiver. Days after the decision, Brown tweeted that he “will not be playing the NFL anymore” and ripped the league’s team owners for voiding guaranteed money in player contracts.
“I believe that Antonio wants to continue his career in the NFL. I have had discussions with a few teams that are very interested in him and want to know about his future and what’s going on with the NFL,” Rosenhaus said during an appearance on Warren Sapp’s “99 Problems” podcast, which was posted online Wednesday. “Hopefully, when that is all resolved, Antonio will be able to continue his Hall of Fame career.”
Rosenhaus did not specify which NFL teams have expressed interest in Brown, and no NFL team has publicly said it was considering a contract offer. As Brown’s agent, Rosenhaus is responsible for gauging the market for his client and brokering an eventual deal, if available.
The circumstances behind Brown’s release led some football pundits, including ESPN insider Adam Schefter, to speculate that his NFL career could be over. Brown faces a civil lawsuit from his former personal trainer, who alleges that Brown raped her during a 2018 encounter, as well as a second allegation from an artist who accused him of exposing himself while she painted a mural at his Pittsburgh-area home in 2017.
Brown has denied wrongdoing in both cases.
"It's my hope, it's Antonio's hope, that he'll be back playing as soon as possible," Rosenhaus added.
The NFL said last week that if Brown were to sign with a team, he could be subject to placement on the commissioner’s exempt list, which functions as a type of paid leave, or disciplinary action pending the results of its investigation.