MIAMI — The NFL intends to use its considerable resources to assist troubled wide receiver Antonio Brown, according to commissioner Roger Goodell.
Goodell was asked Wednesday during his annual pre-Super Bowl news conference about the NFL’s ongoing investigation into sexual assault allegations against Brown. The commissioner did not address the investigation, instead pledging to help the former New England Patriots wideout get his life “on the right track.”
“In Antonio’s situation, I think the first thing for all of us is to think about the well-being of Antonio, to understand what Antonio’s going through,” Goodell said. “We don’t talk about the well-being of our players publicly, but I can tell you that you can be sure that the NFL and the NFLPA have a tremendous amount of resources that are available to all players. They are going to be made available to Antonio.
“We want to help get him on the right track and get him in a position where he is in a zone where he thinks he can be successful in life. We are confident that can happen, and we want to work to do that. From our standpoint, that’s the first step. The first step is making sure we’re doing everything to help Antonio.”
Brown, who played one game for the Patriots in 2019, was arrested last week on charges of burglary with battery, burglary of an unoccupied conveyance and criminal mischief following an incident outside his Florida home. He was released on $110,000 bail and placed under house arrest, requiring him to wear a GPS ankle monitor until his house arrest was lifted Tuesday.