NFL free agent Antonio Brown was released on bail Friday after a night in a Florida jail, where he turned himself in to face charges that he and his trainer attacked the driver of a moving truck that carried some of his possessions from California.
Broward County Judge Corey Amanda Cawthon set a $110,000 bond and imposed conditions including surrendering his passport, wearing a GPS monitor, possessing no weapons or ammunition, and agreeing to a mental health evaluation and random drug testing.
Brown was released a few hours after the hearing, his lawyer said.
Brown, 31, had appeared via video in a green jail outfit, with his wrists shackled. He spoke only to answer the judge’s questions.
Prosecutors had sought no bail, pointing out that the wide receiver is a wealthy sports figure who is a risk of flight if released. They noted that police had been called to his Florida home 18 times since December, for various reasons.
Brown was one of the NFL’s top wide receivers during his nine seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was traded to the Oakland Raiders last year but released before ever playing a regular season game following several off-the-field incidents. He was then signed by the New England Patriots, who released Brown in September after a second woman in 10 days accused him of sexual misconduct.
According to a police arrest report, the altercation began as an argument over Brown’s refusal to pay $4,000 to the driver to release his household goods. The driver called police and reported vandalism after he said Brown threw a rock as he drove away, causing a small dent and chipping the paint, an officer wrote.
The driver later returned when the manager of his company told him that Brown would now pay the $4,000, and an additional $860 for the damage and the driver’s time. Brown then paid the $4,000, but refused to pay the rest, so the driver returned to the van to call his company, and that’s when Brown “started another verbal argument,” police said.
“Brown stepped up into the cabin of the vehicle and started to physically grab and pull (the driver),” while Holt “entered the vehicle and grabbed the keys from the ignition,” police said. The driver tried to get the keys back and cut his hand in the process, according to the report.
Police say the driver suffered injuries including scratches on his neck, shoulder and arm, a cut on his finger and a scrape on his stomach.
Holt then used the keys to open the truck, while Brown “and other unidentified friends” began removing boxes. The boxes, however, belonged to another client, police said. When the driver told them so, Brown and the others “started tossing the items back into the truck causing damage to some of the property,” an officer wrote.
Hollywood police were called again, and when officers arrived, Brown “retreated inside of his residence and shut the door.”
PATRIOTS: Tom Brady had a few words of support on the day Eli Manning officially announced his retirement, but also remembers his toughest losses with the Patriots came against the quarterback of the Giants.
“Congratulations on your retirement, and a great career Eli!” Brady wrote. “Not going to lie though, I wish you hadn’t won any Super Bowls.”
A reporter brought up Brady’s tweet to Manning during Friday’s press conference.
“We joke around about this,” Manning said, “but it’s not real funny to him.”
BROWNS: Running back Kareem Hunt was cited for a traffic violation, and police say they found marijuana in his car. He was pulled over Tuesday afternoon in Rocky River, Ohio – on Cleveland’s west side – while driving on Interstate 90. An incident report said officers smelled marijuana in the car.
Hunt, who was suspended eight games by the NFL last season for two physical altercations, was put in a police cruiser while his vehicle was searched. The report said police found a black backpack on the rear seat and “small amounts” of marijuana were found in three places. The marijuana was seized as evidence.
Hunt was cited for speeding only and released. There was no drug charge and no indication of how fast he was driving.
The Browns say they are aware of Hunt’s situation and gathering more information. An NFL spokesman said “we are aware of the matter but will decline further comment.”
The 24-year-old Hunt was signed by Cleveland to a one-year contract last February, two months after he was released by Kansas City. The Chiefs cut him shortly after a video surfaced of Hunt shoving and kicking a woman at a Cleveland hotel. Hunt is from the Cleveland area.
VIKINGS: Assistant general manager George Paton withdrew his candidacy Friday for the Browns’ general manager vacancy, according to a person with knowledge of the decision who told The Associated Press.
FALCONS: Atlanta fans have defaulted on more than $32 million worth of personal seat licenses in Mercedes-Benz Stadium, including $7 million in defaults during the 2019 fiscal year, according to the most recent available data.
The figures show that buyers have walked away from thousands of seats, likely for reasons ranging from disappointing team performance to personal circumstances, and may help explain some of the much-noticed empty seats at Falcons games this past season. The PSLs, which originally ranged in price from $500 to $45,000, often paid in installments over multiple years, are fees for the right to buy Falcons season tickets in a particular seat as long as the team plays in the stadium.
THE NFL said that the number of concussions players suffered increased slightly this season over 2018. The league said there were 224 reported concussions, 10 more than in 2018. But those totals are way down from the 281 in 2017.
“We want to see head contact reduced,” said Dr. Allen Sills, the league’s chief medical officer.
The total includes concussions from practices and games in both the preseason and regular season. The league said that it did 485 concussion evaluations in preseason and regular-season games this season.
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