Antonio Brown is notorious in the NFL for his antics both on and off the field. His actions were so concerning that they led the league to revise its rulebooks, largely influenced by a specific incident involving him after his departure from the Buccaneers. The NFL’s recent introduction of the new Personal Conduct Policy was reportedly driven, in part, by Brown’s actions, particularly a notable case that occurred shortly after his $15,000,000 move to the Patriots in 2019.
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As per the recent report by Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, Deshaun Watson’s case was not the prime focus behind the NFL’s decision. The new policy allows the league to take necessary actions or even punish players in order to prevent situations similar to Brown’s trade from the Raiders to the Patriots.
NFL Makes Big Changes In Rule Because of Antonio Brown
In September 2019 AB was dramatically released by the Raiders after reports suggested a state of unrest between him and the Raiders GM. He soon joined the Patriots with the season about to start. Later Brown was sued for s*xual assault and r*pe, which brought him a lot of negative attention.
It was later revealed that Antonio Brown already knew about the potential litigation he could face yet deliberately kept the fact from the Patriots. The case escalated after more reports followed which alleged him for attempting to intimidate the victim. He was cut from Bill Belichick’s roster after playing just one game for them.
Brown’s $15,000,000 contract included a $9,000,000 signing bonus, which the Patriots declined to pay after he was cut. A year later it was reported by ESPN, that Antonio Brown instead received $5 million in compensation. Four years later, the NFL came up with a revised Personal Conduct Policy that helps tackle such instances.
NFL’s New Policy On Personal Conduct Of the Players
As per the revised rule, the players are now obligated to disclose any potential violations that they could face to the team before signing a contract. This new rule acts as a defense mechanism for the teams if the player fails to disclose the said details before striking a deal with them.
“In addition, active and prospective players have an obligation to promptly disclose any such incidents to their club or the league office before signing a contract with a club,” the revised policy states.
This revision, as confirmed by sources within the League, has been influenced by the conduct of individuals like Brown and “a few others,” including Deshaun Watson. This simply shows how rattling AB’s last few years in the NFL were. The ripples created by his antics are still very much alive in the NFL and are helping the league shape in a better way.
