It looks like Antonio Brown’s cryptic tweets hinting at retirement Monday may have some context.
The former NFL wide receiver’s fall from grace was expedited after accusations of sexual assault from his former trainer, Britney Taylor, were made public. And after the New England Patriots cut Brown after just 11 days with the team, no other franchise has signed him, despite his elite skills and rumors of teams being interested.
This likely is because the NFL is taking its time to investigate the matter, and he could be placed on the commissioner’s exempt list based on the league’s findings.
And now, it looks like Brown may have blown off an opportunity to move on from these allegations.
“A source said Antonio Brown recently got close to settling his case with Britney Taylor and scheduled a mediation but then backed out of it,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported Monday. “That’s the second time he’s gotten close to settling, then publicly hinted at retirement shortly thereafter.”
Brown tweeted Monday the “risk is greater than the reward” in his retirement announcement, insinuating that COVID-19 is the reason he won’t be suiting up in the NFL this year.
The jury still is out on the legitimacy of that reason.
