New England Patriots receiver Antonio Brown will be eligible to play on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins in Week 2, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Brown is facing allegations of sexual assault and rape in a civil suit filed in Florida on Tuesday.
The league will not place him on the commissioner’s exempt list as there is no criminal investigation into the allegations. (The list prevents players from practicing and playing in games.) Historically, the NFL does not put players on the exempt list during civil cases. The league will launch its own investigation into the accusations made by Brown’s former trainer involving three separate incidents of sexual assault from 2017 and 2018.
Brown has practiced twice with the Patriots, and barring unforeseen circumstances, should practice in New England on Friday. It remains to be seen if Brown will play Sunday. On Wednesday, Bill Belichick wouldn’t address whether he intends to field Brown this week.
Brown joined the Patriots on Saturday after the Oakland Raiders released him on the same day. He is on his third team in seven months after having 104 receptions, 1,297 yards and 15 touchdowns in 15 games in 2018 with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
