FOXBORO, Mass. — New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, like his head coach, didn’t have much to say on allegations against wide receiver Antonio Brown.
Brown was accused of rape and sexual assault in a civil lawsuit Tuesday. Brown has denied the allegations in a statement through his lawyer.
Brady was asked by a reporter if he had a comment on the situation.
“No,” Brady said.
“Not a word?” the reporter followed up?
“Didn’t I just answer that?” Brady said.
Brady was asked how something like this doesn’t become a distraction to the team as they’re trying to prepare to play the Dolphins on Sunday.
“I’m just trying to show up and play football and try to prepare,” Brady said. “Miami’s a good team. We’re going to get ready for them, and things that don’t involve me, don’t involve me.”
Brady also was asked if Brown was living with him. Brady reportedly told Brown he could stay at his house while he got settled in New England. Brady said he’s “not getting into all of that.”
Brown did practice with the Patriots on Wednesday. If he’s going to play Sunday when the Patriots travel to Miami to take on the Dolphins, the wideout will need to get up to speed quickly.
“Just like a lot of new players, trying to get up to speed and so forth,” Brady said. “There’s a lot to learn. Coming into this time of year, I’d say is challenging. But that’s just the situation. It happens a lot throughout the NFL. Different players change teams and so forth. That’s happened over the years, so just trying to do the best we can do.”
Brown is one of the best wide receivers in the history of the NFL. Brady has had only a short time to practice with him. So, what has the quarterback observed so far?
“He’s a very productive receiver,” Brady said. “I think that’s — I think he’s done a lot of things in the league. He’s a great player over a long period of time.”
Brown could be placed on the commissioner’s exempt list before Sunday, so there’s some uncertainty surrounding the receiver’s status. The Patriots have a capable fill-in with Phillip Dorsett if Brown can’t play.
