Nike Cuts Ties With Antonio Brown Amid Patriots WR’s Off-Field Issues
Antonio Brown’s days as a Nike-sponsored athlete reportedly are over.
A spokesperson for Nike on Wednesday told The Boston Globe’s Michael Silverman that Brown no longer has a shoe deal with the iconic brand. The spokesperson did not specify why Nike cut ties with the 31-year-old receiver, though recent allegations made against Brown likely played a factor.
“Antonio Brown is not a Nike athlete,” the spokesperson told Silverman.
Brown’s signature Nike shoe, the “Nike Tech Trainer Antonio Brown,” no longer appears on the company’s website. However, Brown jerseys still were offered as of Thursday morning, per Silverman.
Hours after officially signing with the Patriots on Sept. 9, Brown was named in a civil lawsuit for allegedly sexually assaulting and raping Britney Taylor, one of his former trainers. Because of statute of limitations, Brown will not be prosecuted in Pennsylvania by the Allegheny County District Attorney’s office for the two charges of sexual assault.
Brown’s off-field woes took another disturbing Monday when Sports Illustrated’s Robert Klemko published a scathing story about Brown’s bizarre pattern of behavior. The story included another allegation of sexual misconduct, as well as multiple anecdotes that paint Brown as someone who occasionally acts both childish and disrespectful to those around him.
Despite the wild drama, Brown’s social media activity has done anything but wane.
As for Brown’s availability for Sunday’s Patriots-Jets game, the receiver’s status remains very much up in the air. The NFL on Monday opened its investigation into Taylor’s allegations.
