The New England Patriots were scheduled to pay Antonio Brown the first installment of his $9 million signing bonus on Monday.
It’s now unlikely he’ll ever see that check.
The Patriots officially released Brown on Friday and, according to a report from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, likely will be able to withhold the wide receiver’s signing bonus due to a specific clause in his contract.
According to the Patriots, Brown did not inform the team of his pending civil lawsuit or sexual assault allegations before he signed last Monday.
A separate clause could result in Brown losing the $1 million in guaranteed salary included in his contract, according to Albert Breer of The MMQB.
Attorneys for a woman who accused Brown of sexual misconduct sent a letter to the NFL on Thursday seeking intervention after Brown allegedly sent their client “intimidating” text messages, including photos of the woman’s children. Brown practiced the following day but was cut hours later.
Brown previously lost $30 million in guaranteed money from the Oakland Raiders after being fined for conduct detrimental to the team. If the Patriots void his guarantees, as well, Brown, who earned two game checks during his brief time with the team, can file a grievance with the NFL.
